Journey of Hope and Despair: Season 2
by Zylwe
Summary: The battle continues. What nefarious plans does Despair have in stock?
1. Speed Spell: Speed Storm

**Chapter 1-**

**Speed Spell-Speed Storm**

* * *

_Is there a boundary that prevents you from reaching what you want?_

_Most of humanity uses only a fraction of their true power. Do you wish to unleash your limiters? I offer you an opportunity to do so with teachings of an ancient wisdom. No payment for the first meeting._

_If you are interested, send Mister Fate a description of your problems, and a private meeting will be arranged._

Kyo copied the address bar. _Only spam, _he thought, pasting it to his blacklist. After checking all the remaining messages, he found the message he had been looking for. One of his friends had planned to watch the the Duel Runner finals together. Normally, he would pass the opportunity, but this was one of Amane's duels. Closing his computer, he rose to his feet, not noticing the clicking sound from his leg. He was already used to the weird sound of his mechanical leg.

In the accident, something had fallen atop his leg, burning and breaking it beyond all repair. _Amane will visit tomorrow, so better check everything. _His little sister had been the hardest to convince of his well-being.

**?**

_Your meeting with Mister Fate has been arranged._

The woman read the rest of the message. In addition to all the typical details, such as time and location, it had an interesting part in the end.

_Your problem may seem impossible to cure, but Fate can change it. Take the mentioned object with you to the meeting, and prepare to use it._

_Well, that is interesting. It's worth a try!_

**Duel Runner.**

_Welcome to the Duel Runner, the first but hopefully not last, Official Riding Duel tournament. Today, our to finalists will be competing for a great reward and etrnal glory. Unless they crash and burn! Fingers crossed that will not happen again, the first incident was bad enough._

_But on with the show! We have the Master of the Arcanight, Tanaka Amane facing the Warlord, Oshiro Kenji. The D-Wheel Kenji is using might look a little fragile, but it is Scrap Phoenix quality, so no need to worry about that._

Amane looked at the opponent, agreeing with the description. The wheel was was constructed of different colored parts, which were fused together with haphazard connections. The builder was likely insane, but also a genius. All the parts were securely fixed together, and singular parts were painted in split colors to create an illusion of random parts.

_Both of our duelists are ready to start. The race begins with a count of three, and the first to complete a turn gets the right to go first! 3…2..1..Start!_

Amane activated her D-Wheel autopilot, pressing the pedals at the same moment the starting light lit up. Kenji did the same, overtaking her. _That thing is fast! _ The man leaned forward , drawing a

[K: 4000 LP, SPC 0] [A: 4000 LP, SPC 0]

_I set a card face-down, and Summon my Marauding Captain (1200 ATK). And with his effect, I Special summon Warrior Lady of the Wasteland. (1100 ATK) Turn end. _The announcer continued his explanation: _And with every turn change, both players will gain a Speed Counter These counters allow players to play spells, but beware. For each 1000 points you lose, you lose a counter!_

Drawing a card, Amane set two cards. _I summon Arcanight Empress (1300 ATK) in attack mode, and attack Marauding Captain._ A faceless ghost with long hair appeared, floating towards the Warrior. It ignored the weapon, putting hands on the neck of the opponent and squeezing. [K: 4000-100=3900]

_And with that attack, Amane takes the life lead. However, that might not be what she wants. _Kenji looked at his cards, before picking one. _I set one more card and activate Speped Spell-Angel Baton._

After drawing and discarding, he held up another card. _Next, I Tribute Summon Masked Knight LVL 5. (2300 ATK) _The ghost in front of Amane lashed out, destroying one of her face-downs. _Empress destroys one of my cards whenever you summon a monster. But the destroyed card was Dark Coffin, so either you lose your Knight or a random card. _A magical hand appeared above Kenji, pointing at a card in his hand. He slid it to his discard slot, looking at the girl moving steadily next to her. _Time for you to lose speed! I use the effect of my monster to deal 1000 damage to you._

The knight lifted its blade, but a bolt of Divine Wrath hit the lifted sword, destroying the monster. His monster gone, Kenji set the last card in his hand.

[K: 3900 LP, 3 SPC] [A: 4000 LP, 3 SPC]

_At the start of your turn, I activate my Call of the Haunted to resurrect Warrior Lady of the Wasteland (1100 ATK) _With the arrival of a new monster and no other cards in play, Empress vanished from sight. _I set one card and summon Arcanight Magician (1100 ATK). Next, I attack with it. _The robed creature cast a spell of light, healing Kenji [3900+500=4400]_ And since you have more life than I do, Magician doubles his attack points (1100+1100=2200 ATK) _The robes vanished, revealing blackened skin and a masked face. A black drill of energy pierced the defending warrior. [K 4400-1100=3300 LP, 3-1=2 SPC]

_Healing and hurting at the same time! But with the destruction of that monster, he is now allowed to search his deck for a low-power Warrior. _ A Silent Swordsman LVL 3 hopped out of the vortex as Amane sped past Kenji. _I have no cards against the things, so I have to end my turn. _The monster begun to grow up as the turn switched. _And now the weak warrior evolves to LVL 5 (2300ATK) But the final form will stay locked unless it attacks directly!_ Kenji set the drawn card alongside his other card, calling an attack. Healing rain descended on him as the Magician was cleaved in half.

[K: 3300+500=3800, 3 SPC] [A: 4000-1200=2800, 4-1=3 SPC]

_The Speed Counters were evened out by that assault! But remember, the Arcanight specialize at reversing bad situations. _Passing a corner again, Amane managed to maneuver before Kenji. _That wheel is is faster than mine, but unable to make sharp turns. _ Now, she had an advantage. Her attacks would move in opposition to the track direction, which meant that he would be driving at her attacks while she could drive away from them. This gave her more time to react to incoming plays.

_I activate Call of the Haunted to summon my Arcanight Tower (2600 ATK). _A hideous tower of black slime rose from the ground, a mask forming on top of it's head. Two hands popped out of the sides, wielding gigantic swords. _When Tower shows up, it is never a good thing. That's what tarot readers say, but I beg to differ! Attack Silent Swordsman! _The hands slashed down, intending to cut the Swordsman from both sides. But when the blades hit the monster was no longer there. Instead, the blow hit the opponent directly. _Where did it go? _Just then, she looked away from the rear view to see the monster in front of her. Leaping towards her, the hologram clipped through her, making her lose control for a second. Which was enough for Kenji to move next to her. _ That was a Doble Passe! An old-school card for mutual destruction._

[K: 3800-2600=1200, 4-2=2 SPC] [A: 2800-2300=500, 4-2=2 SPC]

_And since my monster made a direct attack, it will evolve on my next turn. And before you plan anything funny, I activate my reversed card!_ Royal Decree shot face-up, causing lightning marks to appear on Call of the Haunted. Amane looked at her two remaining cards, thinking: _Traps do nothing with that card in play, and Silent Swordsman will negate all Spells!_

* * *

**Next time on the Journey:**

Silent Lockdown faces the conclusion!

A meeting with a mysterious spirit.

Chapter 2- **Cat's Ear Tribe**

* * *

**Cards in this chapter:**

**Arcanight Empress**

Level 4

Dark/Fairy

ATK 1300/DEF 1300

If you have less life points than your opponent:

-When a monster is summoned to the opponent's side of the field: Draw a card.

If you have more life points than your opponent:

-When a monster is summoned to the opponent's side of the field: Destroy a card you control

**Arcanight Magician**

Level 4

Dark/Fairy

ATK 1100/DEF 1100

If you have less life points than your opponent:

-Double the original ATK of this card when it battles with an opposing monster.

If you have more life points than your opponent:

-Your opponent gains 500 life points whenever this card battles with an opposing monster.

**Arcanight Empress**

Level 8

Dark/Fairy

ATK 2600/DEF 2600

If you have less life points than your opponent:

-At the start of your end phase: Shuffle 3 cards from the top of the opponent's graveyard to his deck.

If you have more life points than your opponent:

-At the start of your end phase: Shuffle 3 cards from the top of your graveyard to your deck, then return this card to your hand.


	2. Cat's Ear Tribe

**Chapter 2**

**Cat's Ear Tribe**

* * *

_Silent Swordsman LVL 7 attacks your Arcanight Tower! _ The swordsman switched the grip on the spell-blade, diving towards the massive construct. It dodged a sweep by ducking low and reached the base, plunging the energy blade into the monster. Keeping up the momentum, it stepped on the dark flesh, running up the Tower while keeping the energy weapon inside the monster. When it reached the head it back-flipped away from the giant, which split into two halves of dark miasma.

[K: 1200 LP, 3 SPC] [A: 500-100=400 LP, 3 SPC]

_It looks like the warrior has some nice animations in store for big monsters coming it's way. Kenji has locked down spells and traps with his combination. And topped with a beatstick of twenty-seven hundred points, Amane is in trouble. _

Just then, Amane begun her counterattack _You have measures against battle, spells and traps, but monster effects still work! By banishing Temperance from my hand, I may summon the Empress from my graveyard! _The ghostly angel reappeared (1300 ATK), this time with its hair bound. _ And what exactly are you planning to do with that monster? But now it's your turn._

Amane drew a card before playing another from her hand. _I tribute Empress for Hanged Man, which destroys your monster. _The Silent Swordsman turned into a ghostly version of itself, before turning around. _And you lose life points equal to it's attack points! [K: 1200-2700=0]_ With one last strike, the match ended.

**?**

_Got you another Chosen. What do you want to do with her? _asked the man through the magical mirror. The mirror was built to deliver sound to both directions, but image to only one direction, so that it could be disguised as an ordinary mirror. For this reason, the speaker could not see the person he was speaking to. _You are a fast worker, Quake. Care to show me the captive?_

Quake dragged the captive in front of the mirror. It was a young girl dressed in a red-white garb of a miko, whose face and hands were covered in black markings. _Took some of those tormented souls to the shrine, with a command to bring whatever they possess here. I thought that she could use the cards we have really well. _Laughter could be heard from the other side:_ A shrine maiden with the deck I gave you? I have to say you have a sense of humor to my liking._

_By the way, Takumi has left the city._ Now, the planar grew angry. _What! I reserved him as my prey! _After some time, a soothing sound could be heard. _No need to get angry, this was out of our reach. He found information about one of the other Planars and rushed off to fight it. But I have orders on the potential Chosen we found. Send the puppet against the girl. If it fails, finish the job yourself._

_And if you find the lost lamb, the boss wants her taken alive if reasonably possible. And this time with all limbs still attached. But now, I have a new puppet to meet. _The connection ended. With a smile on his face, the man begun to cast new spells on the terrified girl. _You don't really need your memories for this, do you? And I can also hijack some of your senses. Oh, this is fun...if only my former host was here._

**Wall of Sleep**

You see four pillars, all wrapped in chains. They are covered with markings, and when you move close, you can see two of them shining with a bright light. But the peace of the Wall is gone, for when you look at the other side of the wall, you can see a creature there. It has the form of a human child, but humans rarely cross it, never stay on it. You approach slowly, afraid that she might be dangerous. But when you see the look on her face, you see that the only one who needs to fear...

...is the girl.

The scared girl touches the wall, disappearing to a world on the other side. You feel disappointed, signaling something by your side to follow her. Meanwhile, you have other work to do.

**?**

_What is this place? I remember going to sleep, but... _Kyo looked around him, seeing stone walls all around him. Luckily, most of the walls were full of cracks, letting the daylight flow in. Otherwise, it would be too dark to see anything. _Some sort of castle? _Then, he was surprised to see his reflection from a mirror on the opposite wall.

His clothes had changed to a green-white uniform of some sorts, with the symbol _Hope_ in the chest area. The clothing felt like it was custom-made just for him, having just the right length and size, even adjusted for the fact that his mechanical leg was a little bit less agile than a normal one. Then, he looked at himself and the illusion broke. The clothes had returned to his normal attire, apart for the fact that they still had the _Hope_-insignia.

Scrambling to his feet, he felt a familiar weight on his left side. Looking down, Kyo noticed a scabbard on his hip. _Wha...Where did this come from? _Pulling the weapon out, he saw a reflection of steel coming from a well-crafted and sharp weapon. _Well, it's not wooden. But why would someone give me this?_ Just then, he felt a tremble and sand begun to flow into the room through the holes in the walls, stopping his train of thought.

He rushed towards the lighted hall, seeing stairs leading up and down. It looked like all of the down-leading paths were filled with sand. _Is this place sinking? _Rushing up the stairs, he continued running until the trembling stopped. When he looked down, he could see that another few levels were sinking, sand pouring through the big windows he had passed. Catching his breath after the rush, he sat down on the floor.

_Please help me! _Kyo could hear a faint voice coming from somewhere nearby. Looking behind him, he could see a series of locked doors, followed by one that had been smashed in. He looked at the doorway, noticing steps upwards. _The voice is coming from that direction! _ He rushed up the stairs to see that he was now on the wall, where he could take a look at the surroundings. The castle was surrounded by sand as far as he could see, and there was a hole in the sand all around the it. It looked like someone had had placed it to the only patch of fragile ground on in sight.

_Hey, you! This place belongs to Despair, get out of here! _Turing around, Kyo saw a humanoid cat waving at him. Takumi took some steps towards it, noticing a circle behind it. _Didn't you listen! Im saying you can't... _Someone was bound it the circle, but a red glow concealed all but the humanoid shape. just then, the cat saw something. _That symbol means that you are a chosen of Hope! Prepare to duel, or otherwise you will get thrown to the quicksand! _A duel disk appeared out of nowhere, and the disk Kyo had activated without his commands. _But...I don't have a deck! I haven't played this game for a long time._

Looking at one of the cards that the ejector pushed to his hand, the boy noticed something. Is this_ my old deck? I haven't seen these for a while._

[C: 4000 LP] [K: 4000 LP]

_First, I'm setting two cards and one monster face-down. Your turn. _Drawing his sixth card, Kyo begun his turn. _I reverse a card and Normal Summon Zanji _(1800 ATK). _Next, I activate Reinforcements of the Army. _Sparks flew from the spell card as it begun to twist, _I activate my Ignition, which forces you to destroy a monster on the field. _ A lightning bolt shot away, destroying the reversed card. _Bad luck. As you destroyed Neko Mane King, you must end your turn immediately._

True to the words, an army of cats swarmed Kyo, holding him until his turn ended. At that point, they all vanished. _That did not feel like a hologram. I was almost like... The opponent continued: Like they were true? They are. And now I will summon my at Curse Cat in attack mode (1000 ATK), using her effect to discard one card. _This monster looked like an ordinary cat but for the wizard robes and hat it was wearing. The monster looked at Zanji, and the samurai vanished into a ball of smoke.

When the smoke cleared, there was a cat standing where Zanji had just been, holding the naginata the samurai used. _I can send one monster to the graveyard to replace it with a Cat token, which has half the stats of the original (900/650) Next things next, I will activate Limit Reverse to give my cat a fish. Come out, Pirahna Army (800 ATK). Next, my cat destroys yours and the fish attacks directly._

A puddle appeared where Kyo was standing. Fishes leaped from it, clinging to Kyo while others tried to gnaw his legs. But it looked like the ones grappling to his clothes could not bite through them. _What are you made of? _Finally, the fishes grew tired of biting, and Kyo escaped with only some wounds where the monsters had managed to attack the skin. _And the fish deals double damage when attacking [K: 4000-100-1600=2300] Two sets and your turn._

Looking at the captive, Kyo begun his turn._ I will save you. Just wait._

* * *

**On the next step of the Journey:**

The puppet on the prowl!

Dark VS Dark

**Chapter 3- Possessed Dark Soul**

* * *

**Cards in this chapter:**

**Arcanight Temperance**

Level 6

Dark/Fairy

2400 ATK/2400 DEF

When a level 5 or higher monster you control is destroyed, you may discard this card to special summon a level 4 or lower "Arcanight" monster from your graveyard

**Curse Cat**

Level 4

Earth/Beast

1000 ATK/1000 DEF

When you Normal Summon this card, you may discard a card to send an opposing monster to the graveyard. If you do, summon a Cat token (Beast-Type/EARTH/Level 1/ATK ?/DEF ?) to the opponent's side of the field with ATK and DEF half of that monster's original ATK and DEF.


	3. Possessed Dark Soul

**Chapter 3**

**Possessed Dark Soul**

* * *

**Castle of Despair**

_OK, cat. You defeated one of the Six Samurai, time to face another! _Kyo checked the field, he having no cards on the field but one reversed card. Meanwhile, the opposing feline had Cat Curse (1000 ATK) and Pirahna Army (800 ATK), plus two reversed cards. Even the life point situation was bad

[K: 2300 LP] [C: 4000 LP]

_I Normal Summon Nisashi (1400 ATK) in attack mode! _The dual-weapon warrior hopped to the field, weapons readied to parry, but the attack did not come from the expected direction. _Trap Hole wipes that monster from the filed as soon as you summon it, boy! What are you going to summon now? _As the green-armored warrior descended in the pit, Kyo activated his trap card. _Glad you asked! With Double-Edged Sword Technique, I may now summon both of my Six Samurai from the graveyard._

Zanji (1800 ATK) and Nisashi (1400 ATK) appeared on Kyo's field, both looking at the opposing monsters. _And since I control two, both of them gain their effects. _Zanji looked first at the opposing monsters and then at the warrior by his side. Nisashi nodded back before dashing towards the enemy army of fishes. Slicing with both swords, the Flesh-eating monsters were hacked apart as soon as they emerged from the puddle that had formed on the field. Finally, as the last fish fell to the ground, the samurai sheathed his swords. and at that same time, the cursed beast was cleaved in half. [C: 4000-600-400=3000 LP] _That was two attacks, third one incoming! _ A halberd moved downwards, sweeping at the legs of the opposing duelist making him tumble down. [C: 3000-1800=1200 LP]

_Next I enter Main Phase 2, and activate a Continuous Spell card, Sword Art-Bushido. I set two more cards and end my turn. And when I do so, both of my monsters are destroyed and I take damage equal to their combined attack. _The opponent that had risen to his feet counted for a while, _Hey wait! The total is 3200 points, which is more than you remaining life points! _Kyo smiled as the spell in front of him begun to shine. _Sword Art-Bushido prevents all effect damage to me, but turns them into healing for you. _[C: 1200+3200=4400 LP]

_Well, you just healed me more that you damaged. And I activate Shock Draw, drawing twice since I lost 2800 life this turn. Then, my turn! _The feline had managed to correct the problem with the empty hand, but had now an empty field. _I use One for One, discarding ONE card from my hand to Special Summon a level ONE monster from my deck, such as Level Eater. Next, I summon Junk Synchron and use its effect to special summon Piranha Army from my graveyard. Next, i will summon one of my material monsters:_

**Pirahna Army (2) + Junk Synchron (3)**

_Come out, Cat-astrophic (1400 ATK). _The summoned Synchro monster was a gigantic cat, covered in armor out of which stuck out many weapons. The monster had metal claws, dripping with blood, attached to its paws. _But this monster is only the beginning1 Because I Synchro Summoned, I may pay 1000 life points [C: 4400-1000=3400] to summon Proto-Tuner from my graveyard. And with that, I may summon my strongest monster!_

**Neo Domino City**

Tsubaki was shaking her head, trying to remember what had happened to her. She had been at the family shrine, and there...(what?)...and then she could see the man chanting weird spells... she had traveled...(where?)...and she knew she had to find a girl sh had the image of...(why?)...

All of her mind was a horrid mess, jumping from image to image without her control. She remembered the things...(humans?)...that had surrounded her.. and how her miasma had entered one of them and he had jumped...blood everywhere, the vehicle was covered in blood...she could make them dance like puppets...but the girl was different...yes, she had to find her.

Another creature had come to the rooftop...he had told her to move away...she had told him to jump..and he did...something inside her hurt...was it that bad to break them? She did not know. Had it been hours...(years?)..what were those things...when the girl arrived and she could finally let go.

**?**

Meanwhile, a duel was starting in a abandoned building. _Seeker of Fate, give yourself a name that is not a name. That is the first rule._ The woman activated her disk, thinking about the rule she had heard. _My name is Hive. _Fate drew his cards, watching the opponent: _Hive. An interesting name you have._

The woman did not know how to respond, so she begun to play. _I activate Heaven's Lost Property, allowing both of us to draw three cards and discard two. _She discarded Needle Worm and Inferno Reckless Summon, while Fate discarded Gravity Bind and Swords of Revealing Light. _I Normal Summon Chainsaw Insect (2400) and activate Insect Costume. By discarding Shield Worm and destroying Chainsaw Insect, I may add Doom Dozer to my hand. Next, I remove two monsters from play to summon it! And then I end my turn._

Fate drew his seventh card, and played one. _I summon Mystical Tomato in attack mode (1400 ATK), and it attacks Doom Dozer! _The monster rammed against the opposing one [F:4000-1400=2600 LP], and Fate discarded One Day of Peace from the top of his deck. _Next, I summon Exodia the Forbidden One (1000 ATK), and attack Doom Dozer again. _Again the lesser monster was destroyed [F: 2600-1800=800 LP] and this time the discarded card was Left Arm of the Forbidden One. _As it was foretold. I activate Monster Reincarnation, discarding Right Arm of the Forbidden One to retrieve the body. Then, I activate Dark Factory of Mass Production to add both hands to my hand. _As the five parts appeared above Fate, Hive knew to prepare for a big hit. But she wasn't prepared enough.

**Neo Domino City**

It was a strange dream. The beginning was the same as always, Amane seeing herself and her mother on the trip to the Academy. The faces of the students when Spell of Pain deflected the ghostly Kuraz. but this time, the dream continued.

Waking from sleep, the little Amane felt a pull towards some unknown place. She rushed up from bed with great haste, hurrying towards the thing that was pulling her. She could already see a gap in the air, when someone grasped her from behind. _You shouldn't go there, little one. Your mom is dead soon anyways. The Chosen of Hope wil give her no mercy. _Amane struggled against the captor, only to feel a shock, making her black out. And as the memory ended, she begun to woke up.

_What was that memory? _She wondered, not opening her eyes to keep the memory still visible. _The person that spoke to me, he used a strange name. Chosen of Hope? _Opening her eyes, she noticed that she no longer was in the hotel bedroom, but on the roof. _How did I get here? Did I walk in my sleep? _Her pondering was interrupted by footsteps from the other side of the roof.

_Greetings, Amane-san,_ said the girl who stepped into sight. She was wearing a blook-soaked miko outfit, and despite the darkness Amane could see the shining markings on her face. _I am Tsubaki, and my fate is to challenge you._ _Challenge me? _asked Amane,_ what are you talking about. And why do you know my name, even though we have never met before?_

_Because we have similar causes, child. I am too an enemy of Hope, one of the Chosen of Despair. But only the worthy can know about our war, so you must duel me. _Tsubaki slipped her hand to the gauntlet, activating the duel disk. Amane saw that she already had the disk attached, and noticed an alarming detail. Whatever force had invited her to the rooftop did not consider her clothing, so she still had a nightgown on. _Good thing its this dark out. Otherwise this might go viral._

_Do not worry. The spell that powers our disks also conceals us from the unaware creatures. Only those deemed worthy can witness this battle._

_[T: 4000 LP] [A: 4000 LP]_

_I will conceal one of my cards and set an monster to ambush, and allow you to play next. _For a second, Amane was confused by the strange terminology the opponent was using, but then she begun to play. _ A set monster and a card. Great opening if you want to show your opponent nothing about your plans. _Holding up one of her cards, Amane set a card of her own, before summoning a monster. _Arcanight Lovers (1600 ATK) in attack mode._ The appearing monster was a curious mixture of multiple human corpses stiched together as one, wearing the mask of their kin atop their swarm of heads. _Then I play Arcanight Sword, paying 500 life points per monster I control to destroy the same number of spells and traps. [A: 4000-500=3500 LP] _She eneded her turn watching the giant sword impale the reversed card of the opponent.

_Conceal two more cards, and lay another in wait. Turn end. _The opponent played at incredible speed, setting three cards on the disk before ending her turn. _ In that case, I set another card and activate Arcanight Coin. By discarding a Level 5 or higher Arcanight from my hand, I may draw three more cards. _Amane revealed Arcanight World from her hand, and was shocked by the disk when she discarded it._ [A: 3500-800=2700 LP] _The opponent looked at the cards that had appeared. _It seems you are familiar with the concept of a pact. Nothing good can come without a sacrifice. _Amane set another card from her newly drawn hand before playing a new monster:_ Arcanight Priestess (1200 ATK) in attack mode. And since I have sacrificed my life points, my monster turn to their true forms._

_First, Priestess attacks the card you set first. _A blast was fired and the defending monster destroyed, and Lovers repeated the same. _You have destroyed two of my Possessors, but they have not entered the graveyard. Instead they remain on the field, haunting their killers. Ghoul will haunt your Priestess while Lovers will face the wrath of the Butterfly. _Both monster now had a black cloud above them, showing that they were afflicted.

_Allow me to teach you of strategy. I activate the field-changer, Possessor Mansion. And with the power of that card, each monster loses power based on the ranking of the possessor. Ghoul is worth 3 and the Butterfly worth 1. _(Priestess 1200-600=600, Lovers 1600-200=1400) _Then, see the power of Possessor-Ikiryo (1100 ATK)_ The ghostly woman appeared, and slashed at the Priestess by the command of her master. [A: 2700-500=2200] _And when a Possesor bests a corrupted creature in combat, it activates the effect of the lingering spirit. And with the power of the Ghoul, your weakest monster will vanish from the battlefield._ Lovers faded away with the attacked monster, leaving Amane without monsters.

* * *

**Next time on the journey:**

Can the offer of Despair be trusted?

The ultimate cat monster!

**Chapter 4 -Dark Energy**

* * *

**Cards in this Chapter:**

**Sword Art-Bushido**

**Continuous Spell**

When you would take effect damage, your opponent gains instead the same number of life points. If your opponent takes effect damage, destroy this card.

**Catastrophe**

Level 6

Earth/Beast/Synchro

1400 ATK/1000 DEF

Once per turn, you may discard up to two cards to banish the same number of card your opponent controls.

**Proto-Tuner**

Level 2

Water/Beast/Tuner

0 ATK/1000 DEF

When you Synchro Summon, you may pay 1000 life points to summon this card from your graveyard. If this card would be sent from the field to the graveyard, banish it instead.

**Arcanight Lovers**

Level 4

Dark/Fairy

1600 ATK/1600 DEF

If you have less life points than your opponent:

-During your Standby Phase: Tribute this card to Special Summon a Level 5 or higher "Arcanight" from your graveyard.

If you have more life points than your opponent:

-During your Standby Phase: Destroy all other Arcanight monsters you control.

**Arcanight Priestess**

Level 4

Dark/Fairy

1200 ATK/1200 DEF

If you have less life points than your opponent:

-You may tribute this card to destroy a face-up Continuous Spell or Trap

If you have more life points than your opponent:

-You cannot Special Summon.

**Arcanight Sword**

Normal Spell

Destroy a Spell or Trap for each Arcanight you control. Lose 500 life points for each card destroyed this way.

**Arcanight Coin**

Normal Spell

Pay 800 life points and discard an Arcanight monster. Draw two cards, then draw one card if the discarded monster was level 5 or higher.

**Possessor-Butterfly**

Level 1

Dark/Zombie

0 ATK/500 DEF

When this card would be destroyed as a result of battle, instead equip it to the opposing monster. When a Possessor destroys the equipped monster in battle: Draw 1 card.

**Possessor-Ghoul**

Level 3

Dark/Zombie

600 ATK/800 DEF

When this card would be destroyed as a result of battle, instead equip it to the opposing monster. When a Possessor destroys the equipped monster in battle: Destroy the monster on the opponent's side of the field with the lowest ATK

**Possessor-Ikiryo**

Level 3

Dark/Zombie

1100 ATK/300 DEF

When this card would be destroyed as a result of battle, instead equip it to the opposing monster. When a Possessor destroys the equipped monster in battle: Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Possessor from your deck.

**Possessor Mansion**

Field Spell

All monsters lose 200 ATK per the level of the highest level monster equipped to them. Once per turn, you may select one monster that is equipped to a monster you opponent controls, and add it to your hand.


	4. Dark Energy

**Chapter 4**

**Dark Energy**

* * *

**Castle of Despair**

_And with the union of my monsters, I can summon Catterwocky_ (3200 ATK) Something begun to emerge from the ground, and soon Kyo could look in awe at the giant dragon that had arrived. Or could have, if the thing was not covered in fur and it did not have a cat's face. The terrific talons normal dragons had were replaced by cat paws, and the thing looked...horrible.

_Can't say a thing about my monster? Well, first I summon my Level Eater (LVL 8-1=7)and then it's time to end this duel! _The cat/dragon hybrid took flight, before dashing towards the boy. _ I activate Emergency Summon! I reveal the top card of my deck, and if it is a spell or trap, your attack continues, but if it is a monster, I get to summon it in face-up battle position, and you must continue your attack to that monster._

The disk checked the top card, and the summoning circle appeared in front of Kyo. _Good! Since I have 2300 life points, I need a monster with 950 or more attack to survive. _But as the summon completed, the happines faded from his face. A ghostly suit of armor had appeared between the attacking monster and the boy, but Spirit of the Six Samurai (500 ATK) would not be enough to win. _I'm going to lose this! _ But just before the attack completed, the enemy monster begun to shrink in size, until it was the same size as the monster it was attacking (3200-4*400=1600 ATK) _When battling, Catterwocky loses 400 attack points for each point of level difference between the two._

Seeing his opportunity, the boy flipped the other trap face-up: _Bye Bye Damage sends double the damage I take back to you, and keeps my monster alive._ The cat smashed at the armor, but it withstood the heavy impact.

[K: 2300-1100=1200 LP] [C: 3400-1100*2=1200]

As the effect damage hit the Chosen of Despair, Sword Art-Bushido shattered to pieces. _There goes my protection from effect damage, but I think it will not be necessary anymore. _As he drew a card, he begun to make some calculations._ Yes! I summon Irou (1700 ATK) in attack mode, and equip my union monster to him_ (1700+500=2200 ATK). The ghostly armor surrouded the blind swordsman, filling him with the knowledge of the samurai that had donned the armor before. The samurai begun to walk slowly towards the weird dragon, who seemed to be afraid of the opponent. Finally, the cornered beast lashed out at the command of its master (3200-3*400=2000 ATK), but Irou nimbly sidestepped the attack while making a small slash with the blade.

Even if the monster looked like a cat, it was a dragon at heart. And it had all the weaknesses of one, including the fact that one wing coulld not support the massive weight. And since the most of the left wing was now at Irou's feet, the dragon could not keep flying. It crashed to the ground, and when it recovered, it was too late. The blind swordsman stood next to its face, and with the guidance of the ancestral armor, the katana stuck hilt-deep into one of the cute eyes of the monster. With a purring sound, the Catterwocky faded away. [C: 1200-200=1000 LP]

_No way! You killed my strongest monster? _Kyo looked with disdain at the Chosen who was beginning to retreat. _Yes, and you are going down next! You have a final chance to surrender, use it wisely. _Drawing a card, the feline replied : _You have no idea what the boss does to those who surrender, boy. I toss this face-down, ending my turn. _Kyo drew his card, shaking his head_:_ _If you say so. You have one weak defender, and low life points. Your chances of winning are low, and with this, they are becoming zero. _Kamon (1500 ATK) was summoned to the field, next to Irou. _I use Trap Hole to destroy your Samurai! At least it buys me another turn. _The deep hole appeared below the explosive warrior, but the blind swordsman pushed him out of the way, his ancestral armor shattering.

_The Six Samurai can protect each other from destruction, and the armor protects them. Kamon, end his monster. Irou, end this duel. _An explosion destroyed the defending Level Eater and when the smoke cleared, Irou was in front of the opponent, slashing with the sword. [1000-1700=0] As the sword sunk into the enemy flesh, the Chosen shattered into shards of black glass. And with the defeat of the guardian, the barrier behind him begun to fade away.

It revealed a sleeping young girl, most likely unconscious. The boy begun to move towards her, but another tremor shook the castle, making him stumble. He collapsed to the ground, but the impact did not feel as bad as he expected. _ It looks like these clothes are padded as well as being tough enough to block monster bites._ Just then, he could hear a curse cut short from beyond one of the doors. Which immediately blasted open with a big explosion.

**Hotel Rooftop**

[T: 4000 LP] [A:2200 LP]

_I have no idea about your offer, and the only reason I accepted this duel was because you mentioned a thing from my memories. But after seeing your deck, I'm raring to go! _Amane played another monster from her hand, this one being a red-armored knight wielding a sword and a dagger. Its face was covered by black slime taking the form of a mask. (1400 ATK) _Emperor gains 700 additional attack points when attacking one of your monsters _(1400+700=2100 ATK) The swordsman impaled the defending ghost, scoring the first strike against the shrine maiden. [T: 4000-1000=3000]

_You will soon understand what my offer means. But attacking my monster might have been a costly mistake, for your Emperor is not cursed by Ikiryo, and her ranking of 3. _(1400-600=800 ATK) Amane looked at her reversed card before ending her turn. _And now, I will call the wrath of Possessor-Miasma (1200 ATK) upon your accursed servant. _A monster of smog breathed on the fallen angel, and nothing remained of the monster when the smoke cleared [A: 2200-400=1800 LP]

_And with the death of your guardian, the lingering spirit summons Possessor-Tainted One (800 ATK) from my reserve. _The summoned creature was another miko, but this one seemed to have a sad fate based on the rope marks on its hands and neck.

_And this next lost soul can attack your vitality directly! _The monster begun to float towards Amane, but she triggered her trap card. _Arcanight Parry allows me to discard my Arcanight Wand to summon my Arcanight Lovers from my graveyard. And don't even think about redirecting your attack, because Parry forbids that. _The horrid mess of stitched parts blasted a volley of light at the attacking monster, destroying it. [T: 3000-800=2200] Suprisingly, the dark cloud did not appear.

_You aren't going to possess my monster? _Tsubaki looked at a popped-up screen, clicking on one of the cards before answering _Tainted One does not hold that power, but she can return one of my fallen ones to my hand upon her demise. _Possessor-Ikiryo slid out of the discard slot, and Tsubaki added it to her hand before ending her turn. _During my Standby Phase, I may send Lovers to the graveyard to summon Arcanight World (3100 ATK)_

A massive eye appeared, gazing at the opposing monster. But for some reason, a black cloud was sapping its powers (3100-600=2500 ATK). _With my reversed card, Waning Might, Ikiryo could possess your monster. And then I will activate an obstruction, Waboku. With that barrier at place, your monster is unable to damage me._

Amane looked at her monster that had became useless. Almost._ I may still use the effect to discard two cards from my hand, forcing you to skip your next Draw Phase! Then I end my turn. _Tsubaki did not draw, simply looking at the cards she was holding. _I call my Possessor-Headless Monk, and use his power to increase his ranking with the energy of my Ikiryo! (Level 2+3=5). And since he holds the mystical power of Tuning, he can combine with Miasma!_

**Possessor-Headless Monk (5) + Possessor-Miasma (3)**

**Power means nothing in face of Despair**

**Weakness is a bliss to be embraced**

**Synchro Summon!**

**Emerge, Devourer**

A massive black maw opened on the field, leaving a void around it. (100 ATK) _Your monster is not very strong, I have to say. But I guess it has a powerful effect. _Tsubaki nodded, explaining _By banishing Ikiryo from this duel, World permanently loses all of it's power(2500 ATK/3100 DEF) - (0 ATK/0 DEF)_

_Next,the Devorer destroys World. _The maw bit into the eye, the drained monster vanishing from sight. [A: 1800-100=1700 LP] _And now you must share the loss of power your monster suffered earlier! _[A: 1700-3100=0 LP] Amane collapsed to the ground from exhaustion, and did not notice Tsubaki walking right next to her. With a cold, mechanical voice, she said: _The result was agreeable. Beginning elimination._ Surrounded by dark energy, Amane felt her body move without her permission.

Soon, the realization came that her body was going to step over the safety bars and to a big fall down, _Goodbye, _said the cold voice from behind her.

**?**

You see the two pillars on the Wall of Sleep behaving strangely. One is shedding the chains, but the light coming from the other one is slowly fading away. A feeling of happiness washes over you when the light gives out and the pillar becomes inert again.

* * *

**Next time on the Journey:**

Escape from the castle

Who is the mysterious girl?

Chapter 5-**Escape from the Dark Dimension**

* * *

**Cards in this chapter:**

Catterwocky

Level 8

Earth/Beast/Synchro

ATK 3200/DEF 0

When this card battles with and opposing monster, it loses 400 ATK times the difference of monster levels. This card inflicts piercing damage.

**Arcanight Emperor**

Level 4

Dark/Fairy

1400 ATK/1400 DEF

If you have less life points than your opponent:

-When an Arcanight attacks an opposing monster: It gains 700 ATK for the duration of the battle

If you have more life points than your opponent:

-Whenever a monster you control is attacked, it loses 700 ATK and DEF

**Arcanight World**

Level 8

Dark/Fairy

3100 ATK/3100 DEF

If you have less life points than your opponent:

-You may discard two cards: Your opponent skips his next Draw Phase

If you have more life points than your opponent:

-During you opponent's Standby Phase: That opponent adds a random card from his discard pile to his hand.

**Arcanight Parry**

Nomal Trap

Activate by discarding a card when you opponent attacks directly. Special summon a level 4 or lower Arcanight monster from your graveyard. that monster becomes the new battle target.

**Emergency Summon**

Normal Trap

Activate when you opponent attacks directly. Reveal the top card of your deck, and if it is a monster that can be Normal Summoned, Special Summon it and that monster becomes the new attack target. Otherwise add the revealed card to your hand.

**Possessor-Miasma**

Level 3

Dark/Zombie

1200 ATK/0 DEF

When this card would be destroyed as a result of battle, instead equip it to the opposing monster. When a Possessor destroys the equipped monster in battle: Your opponent loses 600 life points

**Possessor-Tainted One**

Level 2

Dark/Zombie

800 ATK/800 DEF

When this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the graveyard, you may add 1 Possessor other than "Possessor-Tainted One" to your hand from your graveyard.

**Possessor-Tainted One**

Level 2

Dark/Zombie/Tuner

300 ATK/500 DEF

Once per turn, you may target a Possessor equipped to an enemy monster and increase the level of this card by the level of the targeted monster until end of turn.

**Devourer**

Level 8

Dark/Fiend/Synchro

100 ATK/100 DEF

Once per turn, you may banish a card you control to reduce the ATK and DEF of a monster in play to 0. When this card destroys a monster as a result of a battle, your opponent loses life equal to that monster's original ATK.

**Waning Might**

Normal Trap

Activate when the opponent Special Summons a monster. Equip a Possessor from your hand to that monster.


	5. Escape from a Dark Dimension

**Chapter 5**

**Escape from a Dark Dimension**

* * *

**Castle of Despair**

After the smoke from the explosion cleared, Kyo could hear someone stepping out of the broken doorway. Rolling away from the shards, he moved so that he would be between the opening and the girl. He placed his hand ready to draw the sword, but listened to the voice. _Last time I try to use volatile parts in the middle of an earthquake._ Then, the speaker begun to cough, while stepping out of the cloud.

It was a dark-skinned creature wearing a lab coat, his hands bound together with a shackle. _No need to cut me, dude. Unless you want to release me from the bindings. _For some reason, the name Kozaky soon popped to his head. Not knowing what to think, he cut off the binds with a swipe of his sword. _Thanks, man. It looks like this place is going to sink, so could I suggest you open some doors to find my assistant. She has some skills for escape. _As to clarify his words, the rumbling increased.

Kyo rushed forward, opening door after another. Most of them proved to be empty, but some contained markings all around. Finally, he found a cell containing a Witch's Apprentice. He slashed at the bars, but it had no effect. _Brute force will only get you so far, dude. Allow me to open this door. _Kozaky had entered the room just behind him, and now knelt down to the floor, looking at the lock. _An interesting one..yes.._he mumbled, fiddling with it.

It was by some instinct that the boy noticed someone creeping behind him. He turned around, seeing a sword swing towards him. Drawing his blade, he could adjust the direction of the attack enough for it to miss him. The Shadowknight that had assaulted him gave a smile behind it's visor before launching for another attack. Again, Kyo deflected it, his hand going numb from impact. _Good thing I have practiced with a bokken, but that thing strikes with way too much power._

The Archfiend leaped towards him, red claws cleaving the air as Kyo ducked below the blow. Then, the big sword begun to sweep, and Kyo used the opportunity, pushing his sword forwards, right through the enemy armor. It_ used so much power that it lost balance after each strike. _As the beast shattered to pieces, Kyo felt victorious. _Behind you, lad! _This time, he did not react in time. Another Archfiend collided with him, launching the boy across the room. When his head stopped spinning, three more Shadowknights had entered the room. The scientist had opened the door, but it looked like no one could help them.

To make matters worse, the room tilted downwards with another rumble. The monsters tried to find their balance, but one fell into a massive window and to the sand below. The other two were holding to the floor-turned wall with their claws. Kyo and Kozaky held to the bars, but sadly the boy had let go of the weapon to use both hands. As the monsters crawled towards the trio, it looked lost.

But then, the little girl walked into the room. Until now, Kyo had been in too much a rush to notice anything about her, but with the situation in hand, the image in front of him printed to his mind. She had a white dress, which shimmered shards reflecting the weak light. Her hair was long and...silvery. And somehow, the tilt of the room did not seem to bother her, nor did the monsters. The two Shadowknights looked at the girl and at the two daggers she was using. One of them roared, dashing forward and striking with the blade. The girl locked the blade with her dagger without moving from the recoil. Then, she pushed back and the Archfiend was knocked off its foot. As it stumbled, the other dagger found its way in its neck.

The remaining monster screamed, but it was not given a chance to do whatever it was planning to. A blast of energy from one of the daggers hit it, shattering it apart. With the two monsters gone, the light surrounding the girl faded away, sending her asleep again. _I'm glad the lass is on our side. But we better hop out before too late. _The apprentice held out a cube, and with a press of a button, everyone in the room was sucked into an Interdimensional Matter Transporter.

**?**

Again, Quake was using the mirror to speak to his contact. _Well, I know nothing about that person, he knows nothing about my location and neither of us knows anything about the boss. No matter who Hope catches, they are unable to find any other links. At least this is organized better than with the General._

Then, he got the connection. Saying aloud their codewords, both sides clarified that they were speaking with the correct person. _So, did you get your target? _the connection was silent for a second, but then continued: _My minion reported that he had taken her and some others captive, but I haven't heard anything about him afterwards. The task force is sent has also disappeared from the map, but at least they gave me intel about someone with the aura of Hope. And your mission?_

_The doll has completed the mission perfectly, and the final phase just began. _Quake hoped that the person on the other side would not sense deceit in his presence. _I see why the boss trusts you so much. And while we are at that thing, the boss would like for you to visit an old friend. After all, loose ends are made to be cut._

Quake begun to laugh: _Thank you for the reward. I will gladly go visit that friend, but I'm going to wait until the doll has returned. I might get two for the price of one that way. But tell me, do you have plans for the lost lamb? From what I gathered, wasn't it important to keep her away from certain someone? _The contact answered quickly, with a voice meant to conceal doubt: _as long as we keep Hope unaware, it will be of no problem. And besides, I have someone tracking her at this instant. _Just then, the spell ended.

For a moment, Quake pondered how much trust he had. _The boss needs not know about certain things I plan to do. _He returned to commanding the doll he had created, humming a happy melody to himself. _Time to rid this world of a Chosen. Then I can begin my true plans with my dolls. but before that, I might do one last favor for the boss. _He opened a drawer, taking out one of the files that had been created during the battle ten years ago. Sitting down on the floor, he begun to read.

**Dark World**

_Welcome to my lab, dear guests. Sorry that I have nothing to offer, but I think you won't miss anything. After all, this is a fiendish place. _He sat down on a very rickety-looking chair, beginning to tap on a strange machine. _So, dude, who is the girl with you? _Kyo had managed to skip most of his talk while checking up on the girl who was now waking up. He begun to speak, but the girl interrupted him._ What happened to the castle?, _she asked.

After some explanation, they Kyo managed to explain the situation with words simple enough to be understood by the little girl. Kozaky interrupted: _But what are you? You look like a human, but humans cannot use magic and besides, you too strong for your build._ The girl looked confused, mumbling an answer: _Ren is Ren. That is all Ren knows. _Kozaky nodded, looking at the text on the computer. _Alright, Ren, would you allow one of my friends examine you. We might get some info about the little lass. _The last sentence was aimed at Kyo, behind who Ren had hopped.

Then, the door opened and they could see a Magical Scientist on the door. Accompanying him was a big Catapult Turtle carrying large packages. Kozaky welcomed in the fellow scientist, and after some conversation, they managed to convince Ren into some tests.

**Moments later**

_Marks of necrosis all over the body. Rigor mortis has passed, but it has been negated The body is an atypical morph, created using a animating spirit with a signature not from a lingering soul. _Magcial Scientist explained to the group, Kozaky and Apprentice nodding. _Could you give the same in layman's terms, _Kyo noted. _I'll try. Is Necromancy a familiar term for you? _As the boy nodded (he had played enough computer games to be familiar with spell terminology), the Scientist continued: _She is a Necromorph variant. Normally, you take a corpse, infuse it with a dark soul or a lingering spirit and you have a zombie. A Necromorph is a little bit more difficult to create, as it needs a magical copy of the orginal soul. Basically, you mix that soul with a spirit and create a undead that still has the memories of the original._

_Of course, some Necromorphs forget that they are dead and begin to think they are actually the person they body-jacked. That makes the thing unreliable. _Kyo was beginning to understand, but he asked some questions. _You said she was atypical? As I was just going to say, she is. First, someone has paid great attention to cleanse the body, disenchant any impurities and turn back the decay process. In other words, she looks the way she was at the point of death, not what she would look like after being in grave for couple of weeks. And the other fact is that the spirit that was tossed into the mix is a Duel Spirit. Whoever created this procedure is a genius. _

Kyo looked at the girl who was inside a capsule. _So she is a reanimated corpse, brought to life using a Duel Spirit. And whatever spirit that is, she thinks she is "Ren", after her name as a human? _Kozaky kept tapping on his computer S_o it seems. Also, I identified some of that spell residue from the ritual. It looks like her mind has been wiped clean, and only some bits remained. Like the name Ren. It might be her name, the name of someone she had heard of or whatever. But you might call her that, as you are going to need something to call her._

_Then, one last checkup before we wake her up. If she is a duel spirit, she will react to certain triggers. _Just then, a voice could be heard from the door. _No need for those, all you need to do is give her back to Despair. _

* * *

**On the next step of the Journey:**

Something completely different?

**Chapter 6-Lightning Vortex**


	6. Lightning Vortex

**Author Notes:**

Sorry for the delay, but at least this chapter is extra long. And special, as you will soon see.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Lightning Vortex**

* * *

_This city used to be nice. It was a peaceful place to live before they started the construction , it was filled with workmen, buildings torn down and people sent away from their homes. Just for the sake of some corrupt politicians who wanted some more money to their coffers._ _And the project never came to completion, so they ruined the town for nothing. This place is filled with rusting apartments, buildings that were never completed, and there is a horrible mess everywhere. The only ones who still remain here are the old geezers such as me who never wanted to move, some unsavory characters who want a place away from the public eye and of course the ones who are inspecting things for reconstruction._

The old man continued talking about a thing that had surely been on his mind for a long time: _They are the best thing that ever happened to this place. It's good to see that someone still cares about this city, although their plans seem to go a little over-the-top sometimes. Sad that they had that problem. _The speaker saw the confusion from the listeners face, before continuing. _They have been gathering money for the construction, but it somehow vanished. And Noboru-sama, the CEO, was so shocked about the disappearance, so he left a letter saying that it was his fault for not having better security and then went and hanged himself. And with his death, it looks like the project has very little hope._

_But enough of the old stories, they will just depress us. What brings you here? It is not often that we get visitors. _The visiting man rose to his feet: _Thank you for your hospitality and for the talk. I'm here to visit an old friend, but I might have brought this place some Hope. _He bowed to the host, before leaving the house, thus leaving the old man wondering what he had meant.

_It's as bad as he said. _After walking for some time, the man had arrived to central city. The entire area was filled with trash, rusty parts that had fallen away from the nearby buildings that looked like they could be destroyed by a gentle breeze. The massive building complexes were still half-finished and would remain so. And as a nice touch of irony, someone had placed a sign to the middle of the rubbish.

**The city of future, Heartland**

_I hope this is not what future looks like. _After his walk, he sighed. _I never actually thought what I should do when I'm here. Hope for a sign? _The sign came almost instantly when he looked down and saw something dark red on the rubble. Bloodstains.

It hurt. There were wounds on his legs when he had stepped on something sharp. But he kept silent, hiding from the men who were chasing him. Then, he heard the pursuer say: _ He went that way! _Footsteps echoed near his hiding place, and two masked men moved to his sight. _Found him, _said one of them to a phone_, what do you want us to do? _Listening at the talk from the other side, the man nodded and signaled to the other one:_ Permission to eliminate granted. _

The man holding the gun looked at the kid covering in the corner. The brat had been running away from them for some time, but now it was the end of the line. _Sorry, kiddo. Just doing my job. _He had no idea why they had been hired to eliminate a child, but he did not care. Clicking the safety off, he pointed the gun at the boy. He was concentrating on the sight so deep that he could see the fear reflected from the target's eyes, the blood flowing out of some wounds on his legs. But then the focus was interrupted by a shout from behind. He turned around to see a man in a suit, who had wrapped a scarf to cover his face. the mysterious assailant was standing next to his ally, who was now on the ground seemingly unconscious.

_He must be skilled to defeat a professional in this short time, but I got a gun, _the man thought, aiming at the newly-appeared target. He made eye contact for a second, his vision turning blurry at that moment. For a second, he saw everything as two, and then he felt the weight of the gun in his hand disappear. He looked at his hand, noting that the weapon had gone. And during that time, the distance was closed and he felt a hit in the neck. It was a weak hit, but a strange pressure invaded his mind, making him fall to the ground stunned. And when he touched the ground, his mind went blank from the increasing pressure.

The boy looked at the man who had just saved him. He had just arrived out of nowhere, and knocked one of the masked men down with one blow. Then, it looked like the other one had fumbled with the gun, allowing him to down him as well. Currently, the man was checking belongings of the two men and putting their guns and other weapons to a trash bag. _Who are you? And why...are you helping me? _he managed to ask after gathering his courage.

_I don't like people with guns, and I have some business in this town to be completed. But we should leave this place before more of them come here, and on the way you can explain me why they wanted to kill you. _The explanation came almost casually, like the person was used to situations like this. _Can you walk with that wound? _The man looked at the wound on his leg. _I think I can, if I can lean on something._

_Ah, I never mentioned my name. I'm Noboru Daiki. _The man seemed to recognize the name, and fell into his thoughts for a moment. It looked like he decided to trust him, as he answered: _And I'm Sato Takumi. Are you per chance related to the late CEO of the reconstruction project? _Daiki was surprised by the question: _You knew my dad?_

**Later**

After some explanations, they managed to reach the hotel Takumi had visited. After Daikis wounds had been cleaned, Takumi continued the questioning. _You mentioned that those people killed your father, but wasn't it a suicide? If I heard correctly, he even left a note behind. _The boy lowered his voice, and begun explaining very quietly, as if telling a very big secret. _Do you believe in hypnosis? _ Takumi sighed, which the boy took as a negative answer. H_ey, I'm not joking. After he found out about the stolen money, he begun to shout to his phone about organizing a search. He was all mad at the thief, but then someone called him. It was a short call, and afterwards we was all calm. He left the house, and next day I found they found his body. _

Takumi was getting interested. _I'm not sure that someone could hypnotize someone over a quick phone call, but I would like to know who called and what they wanted to say. _Daiki shook his head:_ They never found the phone, and when I called it, someone I didn't know answered it. They asked who I was, but I shut the phone. But then I saw one of Dad's friends just froze in the middle of a street after talking to a phone, and then he jumped in front of a truck. So I tossed away my phone, and then those men rushed after me. _

Just then, a phone begun to ring. Takumi noticed that the voice was coming from one of the phones he had stolen from the gangsters, and made the gesture of covering his lips. The boy stopped talking, as the phone connected.

_Did you complete the mission? _After a small pause, the voice continued,_ wasn't that what you predicted I would ask, Sato-san. Your moves were quite impressive, but you still have lots to learn. _The voice coming from the other side was mechanical, as it were most likely put through a scrambler. _And who might I be talking to? You seem to have lots of knowledge about me. _The voice continued, giving the answer Takumi had been expecting:_ I am the conduit of Eternity, Planar of Darkness. My own name you will have to find out, but before that you will face three trials. The first ome is simple, but it is the one all others have failed._

_The scrambler deactivated, and Takumi could hear a female voice on the other side. _The voice was filled with power, compelling all that heard them into action. **Kill the boy, then yourself. **As soon as the words were uttered, Takumi felt his body tossing away the phone, reaching for the gun in the bag. **NO! **He channeled his mental powers, seeing an infected area in his mind-scape and forcibly pulling it away. The act left him exhausted, and he collapsed to the bed, again in control of his body. _You were right, Daiki. The perp can control people over the distance._

_But wait! Did he use it on you? Are you alright? No impulse to damage yourself or anything? _Concern could be heard from the rapid-fire questions made by the boy. _No, the trick she used did not root for some reason._ Trying to avoid mentioning his psychic powers, Takumi tried to direct the conversation to another direction, when someone entered the room.

It was the old man Takumi had chatted with before, but his body had changed. Most of his bones were visible, a dark shroud keeping the organs behind them from showing. The only place where skin remained was his face. _I am a disciple of Eternity, and once I bring her the souls of two Chosen of Hope and one guardian filled with the power of a fallen god , I will attain the gift of immortality. _The skeleton placed an ornate jar on the ground, uncovering the lid. _Now, you have no option but to face me. Otherwise, this jar will suck in your souls._

_Immortality? Does Eternity hold that power? _asked Takumi when opening his briefcase. He pulled out a duel disk, and the skeleton answered._ That is only one of the gifts she can grant! Can't you sense it, boy? She rescued me from the cold gates, as the Phoenix once rescued you! _Another disk activated, opening the duel.

[Disciple: 4000 LP] [Takumi: 4000 LP]

_Allow me to open this wonderful battle by setting face-down Attack & Receive, Magic Jammer and Mirror Force. _Three face-down cards appeared in front of the skeleton. _Why is he saying aloud what cards he just set? Is it a bluff, or? _Then, all the three cards vanished when a monster arrived (800 ATK). _My Gatling Ogre destroys all three of them to deal you 800 points of damage per card!_ The machine gun begun to spin, releasing a wave of bullets at Takumi. To his amazement, Daiki noticed that Takumi took the Solid Vision hits without flinching [T: 4000-3*800=1600 LP]

Not impressed? I will set my second Attack & Recieve face-down and end my turn. As Takumi begun his turn, he used the computer to check the contents of the opposing graveyard. _All three cards were as he claimed. Is that reversed card really what he claims? _Flipping a card in his hand open, Takumi begun his turn. _By discarding Thunder Dragon, I may add two more from my deck to my hand. Then, I set a card and activate Battery Assault! _Takumi flipped the Thunder Dragons and Wattbetta in his hand. _First, I reveal three thunder-type monsters from my hand. Then, I deal 500 points of damage to you [D: 4000-500=3500], then I draw one card and finally I summon the Thunder Dragon (1600 ATK) from my graveyard. But as the cost, i have to then discard all the monster I revealed._

_You dealt damage to me, so I will activate my Attack & Receive, which deals 100 points of damage to you! _Takumi placed Spell of Pain on the disk, and part of the attack diverted.

[D: 3500-700=2800 LP] [T: 2400-300=2100 LP]

_Next, I will Normal Summon Wattlemur (800 ATK), which attacks your Gatling Ogre. _The armed Fied collided with the electric animal, both shattering to pieces on impact. _Then, my Thunder Dragon attacks directly! _A bolt of lightning hit the man [D: 2800-1600=1200], but two pillars of energy begun to rise on his sides. _It seems like you have learned much from Striking Thunder, but that attack only allowed me to call Gorz (2700 ATK) and Kai En (1600 ATK)_

_Striking Thunder? Do you mean Hamon? _asked Daiki, who was looking at the duel, confused about the things the duo was referring to. _Chosen of Hope, talk about the great spirits only after you have attained your guardian. Until then, let us finish this duel in peace. _With a wave of a hand and a small incantation, the skeletal creature made the boy collapse to the ground. _ A harmless sleep spell. But I think it was my turn now? I attack with Gorz. _The black Emissary dashed towards the dargon, but a cage of lightning surrounded it and its brother. _What happened? You had no face down cards on the field. _Takumi made a remark to the confused enemy: _Why do you think I suicided Wattlemur last turn? As it was destroyed in battle, you are now forced to skip your Battle Phase. _

_A lingering effect, then. In that case, I will set my Trap of Darkness face-down. And since neither of my monsters attacked, I swap both of them to defense mode. (Gorz: 2500 DEF, Kai En: 1600 DEF) _Takumi looked at his cards, thinking about the enemy cards. _Trap of Darkness? That one could either copy Attack&Receive or Mirror Force. But my instincts tell me that he was bluffing. Summoning a Wattfox from his hand, Takumi initiated a Synchro Summon_

**Wattfox (2) + Thunder Dragon (5)**

**The reincarnation reborn**

**with the fury of the storm**

**Synchro Summon!**

**Bring us light, Wattphoenix!**

The phoenix that Takumi summoned was like the Phoenix of Nepthtys, but covered in lightning instead of fire. It simply looked at the field, and Gorz vanished from sight. _Once per turn, Wattphoenix (2400 ATK) can select one monster that was Special Summoned and send it from the field to the graveyard. Then, I will set the last card in my hand face-down and attack Kai En! _The Phoenix released a wave of electricity at the Light Emissary, but the holy barrier blocked and reflected it as Trap of Darkness copied the Mirror Force [D:1200-1000=200]

_They never trust my words, do they. _After the loss of the Synchro monster, Takumi should have been shocked, but he was smiling ominously. _Actually, I trusted you._ The disciple figured: _You predicted I told the truth. But why? Unless you monster does something when destroyed... _Just then, the remains of the Synchro Monster begun to gather again, forming a smaller creature. _When Wattphoenix is destroyed, I may Special Summon a Tuner from my deck, such as Wattkiwi (600 ATK). Of course, it has a cost , which is me losing points equal to its ATK or DEF, whichever is higher [T: 2100-600=1500] Then, I enter Main Phase 2 and activate Call of the Haunted to bring back Thunder Dragon._

**Wattkiwi (3) + Thunder Dragon (5)**

**The teacher who gazes to your soul**

**a knight who wields a fallen god.**

**Syncro Summon!**

******Defeat my foes, Raikiri Lotus!**

* * *

The card of the Guardian who had sealed herself ten years ago had returned to Takumi when he had left on his quest. And with the summoning that happened now, the familiar mental contact returned. Even after fusing with Hamon, Lotus had changed very little. Her armor was emitting arcs of lightning, and she now wielded a blade resembling a giant horn of Striking Thunder. (2200 ATK)

_Even if you summon your guardian, you will not be able to attack this turn. _Takumi looked at the text he had read through earlier, and activated a monster ability. _I don't have to. I return two Thunder Dragons to my deck, and select a monster in your graveyard. Lotus gains the ability of that monster. _The energy took a form of a gatling, absorbing his face-down card and firing a hail of bolts at the skeleton.

[D: 200-400=0] [T: 1500-400=1100]

As soon as the attack hit, the skeleton collapsed to a pile of dirt and broken bones, and the jar he had placed earlier closed itself, now having a captive soul. Not knowing what Eternity was planning, Takumi used his mental connection to Lotus. _If that was the second trial, I need to get Daiki out of here before the third one arrives. But before that, can you check whether he really is a potential Chosen. _Lotus nodded, beginning the analysis on the waking boy.

* * *

******Next time on the Journey:**

**Quake sets plans into motion.**

**An offer from Despair?**

******Chapter 7- Memory of an Adversary**

* * *

******Cards in this Chapter:**

******Wattphoenix**

Level 7

Light/Thunder/Synchro

2400 ATK/ 1600 ATK

Once per turn, you may send one Special Summoned monster to the graveyard. When this card is removed from the field, you may Specail Summon one tuner from your deck or graveyard, but you lose life points equal to its ATK or DEF (whichever is higher)

******Raikiri Lotus**

Level 8

Light/Thunder/Synchro

2200 ATK/ 2000 DEF

Once per turn, you may shuffle two Thunder-type monsters from your graveyard, and select a monster in an opponents graveyard. Raikiri Lotus gains the name and the effect of that moster until end of turn. Whenever this card would deal damage, halve it and lose the same amout of life points.

******Battery Assault**

Normal Spell

You may add this card from the graveyard to your hand instead of conductiong your normal Draw Phase. Reveal up to 3 Thunder-type monsters from your hand, and activate the following effects based on the nuber of revealed cards. Then, discard all cards revealed to this effect:

1 or more: Deal 500 damage to a player of your choice

2 or more: Draw a card

3: Special Summon a Thunder-Type monster from your graveyard.


	7. Memory of an Adversary

**Chapter 7**

**Memory of an Adversary**

* * *

**Dark World**

_No need for those, all you need to do is give her back to Despair. _ Those were the words uttered by the creature at the doors. The speaker appeared only as a distortion in the air, but there was a human-shaped shadow on the wall not corresponding to anyone in the room. _Or what, _asked Kyo, looking at the shadow instead of the distortion. Which probably saved him, as he noticed the shadow taking something and tossing it at him. As he ducked to the ground, he saw a knife sticking to the back wall, having passed where he just was. _Do not question me, inferior one. It is your task to listen to my conditions and then accept them or perish._

_You shall return the girl to us, and then surrender your power as the Chosen. In exchange, I will allow you to keep your worthless life. But as I think you would not accept what I offer you, I give you one day to think. _A note appeared on the floor, bearing the name of a hotel in Neo Domino City, plus a room number. _Bring the girl to this location in the waking world by tomorrow midnight, or I will send my true power after you._

_True power? I'm not afraid of empty words. _Again, the distortion twisted. _When you return to the waking world, you will see that my words are never empty. But for now, farewell. _Both the shadow and the distortion ceased to exist, the room returning to normal. Kyo wondered who the mysterious creature had been, and the ominous thing he had mentioned. The part about him proving his words true. _We better run the tests later, boy. For now, you two should go back to the other side._

The man clicked on a button, and a hole appeared below Kyo. He begun to fall to a bottomless pit, and he subconsciously triggered his talent to walk between worlds.

**Wall of Sleep**

_You see two spirits passing the wall, one of them the one designated as your Master. **So I return for another mission. I never thought I would still serve another. **You feel your energy freed from the boundaries as your ghostly form follows the two._

**?**

_After a long week, it is so great to rest. _That was what Kagami thought while reading a book and just relaxing on a sofa. Thing that were interrupted by the doorbell ringing. _Who could it be? Takumi will not be returning for a while, and Chiyo-nee visits rarely. _While she was pondering, the door opened. _It think it was locked. _ Positioning herslef so that she could see the opener, Kagami noticed a familiar sight on the door.

It looked like Takumi, but something was off. Most likely the multitude of colors the person was wearing (instead of his favored black), the cheshire grin on his face (Takumi smiled in a less...insane way) and the mass of vines emerging from his back. _Hello, I come in peace. Is Sato Kagami here?, _said the creature in a cheery tune._ Oh, there you are. I'm Quake, if you did not notice the vines._

**Later**

Kagami had been surprised by the Planar. It had attacked her, but only to bind her to the sofa vith a multitude of vines. Then, the thing had entered the kitchen, and weird sounds could be heard from there. Soon, Quake returned, holding a glass that was filled with a greenish liquid. _You know, controlling the forces of nature is useful in may things. Like for example creating stuff to drink. You want any? _Kagami managed to shake her head. _Straight to business then? I have an offer you cannot refuse. No one gets harmed, you give me some help and I tell all some parts of the secret plan Despair is plotting. You can relay that to your husband and your sister._

_Help? Why does the spirit of life and nature need my help? _Quake raised a finger, beginning to explain: _Oh, and I will let you out of those, but please don't try to escape. _The vines vanished from sight, releasing Kagami. _I need your help, because the Rite of Severing requires two. You see, I was supposed to use this body for a short while, but then the owner was reborn. And the spell says I have to be in this form until either Takumi dies or I attain permission from him or a person close to him. And that's where you come into the picture._

_No magical knowledge or anything required. All I need is your presence, which has to be willing. No one will be hurt, and then I will tell you what Despair is planning. Sounds like a good deal, right? _The planar took out a lunchbox from his bag, clicking it open. The bottom of the box was filled with shining shards covered in a red liquid. Other than that, there seemed to be a greenish hue all over the box. And Kagami did not want to know where the colors came from. _So, do you accept?_

Kagami considered the offer. It sounded almost too good to be true, and she had heard about the earlier deeds of Quake. He had double-crossed Thanatos and allied with the other Generals of Despair in search of a challenge. But then, he could be planning to deceive this General like he had the earlier. It was such as Takumi had told her, the Planars were a wild card in the conflict. But finally, after pondering the offer, she decided to accept.

_Nice! And now, prepare to be amazed! _Quake but his hand into the box, slashing it against the shards inside. Whispering something in a unknown language, the box begun to melt. At the same time, the planar begun to change. Quake was wrapped in a field of blinding light, which passed revealing the new form of the planar standing there.

The basis of the body was still the one copied from Takumi. But this version was a bit shorter and slimmer, with lengthened hair that had been tied down and a body was a little more...curvy? The face was different, and the constant smile actually fit the woman standing in front of Kagami. _ I'll be leaving, then. _She took an envelope from..somewhere, placing it on the table. _And sorry about the door!_

Kagami was left behind, staring at the door that crashed to the floor as Quake left the room. Then, she opened the letter that Quake had left her.

_The new General is paranoid enough not to let me know about most of his plans, but I am not that easily fooled. They are still planning to awaken the King of Despair, but the seal made by the Testament is proving almost impossible to destroy. They are seeking something that is created for destruction to release the King. Which would be be for your side, because he has fused with the Source. You know, the thing with almost unlimited power._

_This General lurks in the shadows of the spirit world, contacting me through a person who calls himself Mister Fate. I think he might himself answer to another person higher-up. Mister Fate uses an OTK strategy of some sort, most likely relying on an alternate-win condition. Also, some of the Chosen of Despair have been sent after a boy who has been identified as a Guardianless Chosen of Hope. Accompanying him is a little girl that the forces of Despair wish to keep hidden. The reason for this I cannot divine. Also, I have eliminated another suspected Chosen of Hope as per their orders._

_Finally, I have discovered a prophecy about the awakening of the King of Despair. Just that you know what you are fighting against._

_**Sun to moonlit sky will rise,**_

_**a faithful man meets his bane.**_

_**For his sake a protector dies,**_

_**the eternal shall in power wane**_

_**Melody soulless the gate rends,**_

_**calling a force that can creation burn.**_

_**In one short day our time ends**_

_**and Despair shall return.**_

* * *

**Elsewhere**

Kyo did not know which immediate problem to focus on first. The fact that Ren had managed to follow him to the awaking world? Or that some weird creature was now talking directly to his mind, calling him Master? Or the fact that the message Despair had given him had shifted, the letters now forming new words.

_**If you don't want disappear like your sister did, bring the girl to the mentioned place by midnight.**_

* * *

**Elsewhere**

Quake was looking at Tsubaki, who had been driven into a coma by her powers. _It will take so time to fully analyze the soul of Amane, but it will be worth it. And since they found the body, no one should be able to predict this line of action._

* * *

**On the next step of the Journey.**

Striking a deal with Despair?

**Chapter 8 -Light to the Depths**


	8. Light to the Depths

**Chapter 8 **

**Light to the Depths**

* * *

**Midnight**

_Glad you decided to follow our orders, Kyo-kun. Otherwise it could have become messy. _They boy had just entered the room, along with the lost lamb, who followed him with fear on her face. Fate was looking at the monitor, projecting his voice to Hive, who was in the room in case they tried anything. _ Perhaps Ren did not want to follow him? Oh, time to check the disabler. _He opened the mic, speaking to it and Hive mouthed the words to the group.

Fate thought about the device, which had been left to Kyo earlier. the thing was an amazing invention from the General, which blocked a person from using the power of the spirit realm as long as they remained on this side. The thing reported being securely fastened, but Fate was not fine with this. _The boy could have attached it to himself instead of the girl, and then we would have her on the loose with full power. _ Looking at the energy blocked by the invention, he smiled. _A constant stream of spirit energy has been disabled. Ren is now a human._

Thus, he gave the duo permission to enter the room. The entirety of the room was fully in his view thanks to the spells he had placed on the security system. _Leave Ren here and exit the room. We will deal with the rest._ At this point, Kyo turned at Hive, beginning the questions Fate had predicted: _What did you do to my sister? _By the control, Hive answered: _Potential threats have to be eliminated instantly. What do you expect?_

_Potential threats, such as me? _Fate laughed when he heard this question. _You are smart, boy. but not as smart as me. In another life, you could have been my student._ Just now, Fate realized that there was something odd about the situation. _He's not afraid or angry. And wait...what is Ren doing? _The little girl was looking around the room, noticing the places of every camera in there. Just then, a blinding white light concealed all the action in the room, and then eleven blasts of light hit the cameras, destroying all of them.

Fate was left looking at a multitude of black screens and wondering how he had been outsmarted. At least he still had control of one thing. Not having a link of vision, he opened another channel in the connection, talking to Hive. _Activate the transfer system now!_ A wave would wash over the room, sending everyone there across the Wall. Right after giving the command he regretted it, for the transfer has deactivated his control over Hive and the locator system in the disabler.

**Earlier**

_Alright everyone. I think that we all agree that Ren should not be surrounded to Despair. The problem is that if we don't go there, they will send someone after us._ Kyo was talking to Ren and the Guardian, who called himself Hisao. _So, they have some method of tracking us, but you said they cannot hear what he are talking? _Hisao answered through the connection: _They are not using magical means to track us, that I can sense. I would like to know more about Ren and her importance to them before making plans. Basically we are sending soldiers to unknown battlefield._

_Ok, and there is my plan. We will seemingly agree and visit the meeting area. And then, we need to cause enough chaos to escape and find a place where we can make plans. _Again, the voice entered his mind: _Attacking only to retreat is not a great plan to achieve victory, but I agree. When the enemy camp burns, their soldiers panic._

_A disabler. We can't afford to lose the powers of Ren, so what are we going to do? _Kyo stared at the package that had been passed to him, tring to think what to do . Then he got an idea. _I got it. The thing is intended for a human that has a connection to the spirit realm, right. Ren is of course one, but aren't I one as well? Hisao, what do you think? _Studying the pattern in the spell, the creature accepted: _It might work. but if you are connected to that one, I will be unable to assist you. Is that acceptable?_

**Dark World**

After the attack, the woman in the room had pressed a button, which had caused a shock-wave to hit everyone in the room. Now, Kyo was lying on ashen ground, trying to find out where he was. _First, I should take off the disabler so that I can speak with Hisao. _He ripped off the armband, and found a clue to his whereabouts. _The sword and the duel disk have returned, so I am on the other side. And if I'm here, I'm asleep and they can capture me. How do I get out of here?_

His pondering was interrupted by a voice from behind. The woman from the room had been transferred with him, and she was standing behind Kyo. _I am Hive, a Chosen of Despair and I challenge you to a duel! _Flames rose from the ground, forming a circle around the two duelists.

[Hive: 4000 LP] [Kyo: 4000 LP]

_Any ideas, Hisao?_ Kyo tried to find the mental connection, but the spirit of his Guardian was still recovering. At the same time, Hive was making her plays. _I activate Suicide Counterbalance, set one card and a monster and end my turn. _Without further assistance, the boy had to accept the duel, hoping he could finish it as quickly as possible. _I activate Double Summon to summon Yaichi (1300 ATK) and Irou (1700 ATK). Then, Yaichi will destroy your reversed card, and Irou will attack your monster. _An arrow pierced the trap card, and the swordsman dashed towards the reversed monster. The blade slashed, revealing nothing. _My Man-Eater Bug will now clear your monster! _ Just then, Irou stabbed his blade to the ground, and drew it out with the bug skewered. _Irou does not allow flip-effects, since he destroys without battle calculation._

As Kyo ended his turn, the opposing spell card activated. _Since there are two monsters in play, both of us have to discard two cards from the top of our decks. _After the discarding, the opponent drew a card and summoned Giant Rat (1400 ATK). The animal dashed at the bow-using samurai, destroying the weak monster [K:4000-100=3900 LP] Then, three additional reversed cards appeared on the field.

_I have to be very careful against those card, but I don't have the time to. _Kyo thought. _I will summon Zanji (1800 ATK) and set a reversed card. Then, Zanji attacks your monster! _The halberd cleared away the rat, who formed a summoning gate upon destruction [H: 4000-400=3600 LP] A Needle Worm (750 ATK) appeared, and a reversed card activated. _My Inferno Reckless Summon allows me to summon two additional Needle Worms, one from my deck and one from my graveyard. sadly, it also allows you to summon all copies of one of your monsters. _Kyo looked through the cards in his deck, and placed another Irou to the field. When that monster appeared, the field vanished to a sudden darkness.

_Thanks to Book of Eclipse, all monsters on the field will be set. What will you do now? _Looking at the reversed cards, the boy saw now way out of the situation, ending his turn. _And first of all, since there are 6 monsters in play, both of us lose six cards from our decks. Then, all of your monster flip face-up and you draw three cards. Then I begin my turn by flipping all three face-up, forcing you to discard 15 cards from the top of your deck!_

_Wait a second. With all the effects until now, my deck has been reduced to 6 cards. And when those run out..._

**Lobby**

When the gate to the other side had activated, the energy flux from the other side had unlocked more of the power inside Ren, who had already switched to her spirit side for the mission. With the increased energy, she had managed to carry Kyo away from the the ground zero. As she struggled to move him somewhere safer, she also tried to understand the returning memories.

_A creature covered in blood, swinging a massive axe at a white dragon. Dark clouds and ground of ash. Blades whirling all around. A creature dies when a spike emerges from it's stomach. White light piercing demons and ripping them apart. A man leaping in front of a blow, only to be crushed alongside his comrade. It was war. It was everywhere. Death was part of her._

Ren kept the flow memories at bay, but they were returning at a horrid power. She felt something warm in her soul, soon realizing that the power was changing her. Her physical power had grown so much that she could hardly feel the weight of the unconscious boy on her back. She looked at a nearby mirror, and saw that her reflection was had taken a form similar to her body, but clearly an adult. _ Who am I?_

Just then, the connection ended and the Ren in the took her natural shape. A sudden increase in carrying weight surprised the captivated girl, making her stumble. As the girl recovered, she saw a ghostly image behind her, poised to strike. Rolling to the side, she managed to evade a blow from the apparition. _I guessed that would not work, but it was worth a try. Now, I know you are stronger than me, but can you fight me and protect the boy at the same time? _ Something, maybe a remnant of the images that had passed her told her that the attacker was a tormented ghost, and what is was saying was likely the truth.

_Or plan two, we settle this with a duel. But because my time in this world is limited, the duel will have a special rule. We will both play two turns, and then the one with highest LP is the winner. Is that acceptable? _As Ren accepted, an array of cards was created in front of them. As spirit creatures, they naturally possessed the power of duel spirits and did not need cards to duel.

[Ren: 4000 LP, 2 turns] [Ghost: 4000 LP, 2 turns]

Four torches circled the duelists, one on both sides of the duelists. Ren set a monster face-down along with double set cards, and one of her torches vanished. _Going on the defensive will not save you. I activate Dark Snake Syndrome and summon Des Wombat (1600 ATK). _The beast rushed at the defending creature, uncovering the defensive Giant Germ. Poison gas emerged from the destroyed monster, but the beast moved to protect its master. Then, it froze suddenly when Ren flipped Herald of Orange Light and another fairy in her hand, sending both of them to the graveyard. The beast vanished to shards, and the protective wall was gone.

The spirit looked at the two new germs that had appeared, and set three cards from its hand. Then, another torch disappeared.

[R: 4000 LP, 1 turn] [G: 3500 LP, 1 turn]

Hysteric Angel (1800 ATK) entered the field, absorbing the two other monsters to it's curative stream of power [R: 4000+1000=5000 LP] _Buffing your life, hoping to outlast me? Try it if you like._

The girl ignored the taunting, flipping her reversed. Aegis of Gaia [R: 5000+3000=8000 LP] And finally, she placed the last card in her hand to the Field Spell Zone, letting the area turn into a Sanctuary in the Sky. Finally, Call of the Haunted was flipped, calling the discarded Agent of Judgement-Saturn to the field. The angel exploded to a pillar of holy light, destroying the opposing spirit completely. [3500-4500= 0 LP]

As the attacking spirit fell, Ren saw that many more had moved to surround her. And these ones did not seem to prefer negotiations. As the ghosts begun to circle their intended victim, the sheer amount of them became finally visible. _How can they summon an army of ghosts to this side of the world? Or... are we still here? _ Looking at her surroundings, Ren could see multiple seams in the air where the image of the lobby was distorted. _We are just where they want us to be! _She looked at the boy on the floor behind her, whispering some words:_ You better wake up soon._

* * *

**Next time on the Journey:**

Where is Ren?

Can Hisao recover in time?

**Chapter 9-Trap of Darkness  
**


	9. Trap of Darkness

**Chapter 9**

**Trap of Darkness**

* * *

**Dark World**

_Six cards left, but not for much longer! I Normal Summon Illegal Cheerbot, and pay 1000 life points to use its effect. _[H: 3600-1000=2600 LP] _Prepare to meet my Guardian._

**Needle Worm (2) + Needle Worm (2) + Needle Worm (2) + Illegal Cheerbot (2)**

**A cocoon of sadness shatters to release a spirit of sadness**

**a beautiful butterfly that brings Despair to mind**

**Synchro Summon!**

**Devour my foes, Creeping Deathfy!**

The summoned creature flapped its wings, rising a field of ash into the air. For a moment, Kyo lost eye contact to the creature, but then he felt a strange pressure in his back. Turning around, he saw a vibrantly colored butterfly tearing his reversed card into fragments with its sharp incisors.(2000 ATK) _Magic Cylinder? Well, now you get one draw, and if it matches the type of the card I destroyed, you get to keep it. _The boy flipped the top card of his deck around, revealing it as Double-Edged Sword Technique. _Trap for trap, but now my monster attacks both of your Irous._

The field was again obscured by ash and pollen, and when the smoke lifted only Zanji was kneeling on Kyos side of the field. _Now, you have five cards left, and with Suicide Counterbalance, your turns are very quickly running out. Turn end. _The boy picked up a card, a grin on his face despite the bad situation. _Do you realized what the weakness of your combo is? You allowed me to draw 4 additional cards with it, and I am now holding 7 cards. First, I activate Warrior Returning Alive, and you have certainly given me many cards to choose from._

The dynamite-using samurai arrived on the battlefield, followed by three reversed cards. _And with some help from Zanji, Kamon can give up his attack to blow up your Suicide Counterbalance. Then, I'm using Rush Recklessly to boost Zanji for a little attack on your monster (1800+700=2500 ATK)_

The naginata smashed against the monster head on, but a strange light from the wings seemed to repel the weapon. _Once per turn, my monster can prevent its destuction. _[H: 2600-500=2100] Then, Zanji dug his feet in the ground, pushing the blade deeper into the monstrous body. Finally, the blade pierced the fying creature, shattering it to pieces.

_After the battle calculation, Zanji destroys any monsters that survived a battle with him. Next, I will end my turn._ Hive drew a card, setting it and activating her other set card. reviving the guardian with the use of a Call of the Haunted. _Next, I will use the effect on Kamon! _The spikes moved to pierce the explosive monster, but Zanji leaped in the way, pushing his fellow warrior out of the way. _Saving a weak monster at the expense of a strong one? I have no idea about your plan, but reveal the top card of your deck! _Kyo flipped Sword Art-Single Slash, which was a spell card. _That goes to your graveyard, and then my monster attacks. _The attack hit its mark, but a barrier that Bye Bye Damage created rebounded most of the power behind the impact.

[H: 2600-(500*2)=1600] [K: 3900-500=3400 LP]

_Persistent, but try to persist with your few remaining cards. Turn end._ Kyo picked yet another card from his diminished deck, before flipping another of his reversed cards. _You already saw this one, so I might put it into use. Double-Edged Sword Technique allows me to summon Yaichi (1300 ATK) and Zanji (1800 ATK) from my graveyard. Then, Kamon destroys Call of the Haunted and Yaichi your face-down. _As the two cards exploded, the opposing guardian defended itself with a barrier of light. _And then I will use Zanji to attack and tribute Yaichi to prevent his destruction! _Again, the halberd pierced into a monster, who tried to retaliate with its claws. The bowman rushed towards the monster, taking the blow that was intended for the attacker. Then, both of the monsters vanished [K: 3400-200=3200 LP]

_And finally I can activate the Spell I have been holding for this entire duel. With Magical Stone Excavation, I may discard two cards from my hand to add Spell of Pain to my hand. Then, I end my turn and Zanji is destroyed. Then I would take damage equal to his attack of 1800, but this time you will be taking that! _A ghost of the destroyed samurai turned away from attacking its former master, instead slashing the enemy duelist. [H: 1600-1800=0]

The enemy duelist fell to her knees, but it took a while for Kyo to understand why. Then, he noticed that Hive was clutching her chest. Her clothes were slowly being covered in blood, as blood gushed out of the wound that Zanji had inflicted to her with the final blow. The woman was trying to say something, but her voice had died out. Then, a beam of light escaped her body, flowing into Kyo. _You can't help her anymore, Master. Let me get you out of here before other enemies arrive._

As the unsummoning ritual neared its end, a strange sensation washed over the two._ Someone is trying to contact us, Master Kyo. We should find out what they seek after we have found a safer place to do so, _Hisao explained as the final words of the spell had appeared._  
_

**?**

Ren had taken severe wounds. A bite to her right knee, preventing her from moving at full speed. A claw had stabbed her in the chest, and she was having breathing difficulties. Another creature had clawed her forehead, and blood was covering her sight. But even now, the wounds were closing themselves. And at the same time, the enemies had paid heavily. Many ghosts had met their ends when pierced by her daggers. The one that had bit her had begun screaming and had dissolved. But most of the damage dealt to them had come from the rays of magic she emitted.

But more kept coming. No wonder, for the two were trapped inside a mirror world created by Despair. _This place has been built to look like a hotel, but we crossed the border to this area at some point. Perhaps when we entered the real one. _ Again, another wave of ghosts surged towards her. These ones were the same as before, but not intelligent enough to duel like the first one that had been sent. They were a lot weaker than Ren, and were unable to attempt lethal blows for some reason. Ren did not have that problem, but the constant swarm of creatures were keeping her on the edge.

And with every passing second, the battle was becoming more desperate. The spirit that was currently manipulating Ren felt the pull of her other personality, which was growing stronger as her power waned. _My other side will be unable to survive in this pandemonium. I need to keep her under my control. _Rolling under the blow of one ghost, she dashed towards one in the back, cutting it in half before turning and slashing the backs of the two ghosts she had passed.

Another one moved to attack her, but when Ren moved to block, a sound of a blade cutting the attacker could be heard. Kyo had stood up, and his Guardian had slashed away some of the attackers. The presence of Hisao seemed to be unnerving the ghosts, and entirety of the sealed space seemed to crumble with their confidence.

And then, it all ended as Kyo shouted something out loud. With the barrier shattering, Ren could finally return to her spirit form, letting her other personality take control. As she faded away, she returned to a stream of unlocked memories.

**Neo Domino City**

When Hisao had absorbed the powers of Hive, he had also managed to find a command word allowing them to escape the pocket dimension at any time. And now that they had escaped the dimension, they could return to the original plan. _Master. Ren has taken severe damage, and is unable to act for a moment. Likewise, the disabler is still weakening me, and with the power expended in the last fight, I will be unable to fight without resting first. _

Kyo helped the confused girl up, rushing away from the hotel. _I have no idea where to go, but going as far as possible seems to be a plan. _The guardian soon answered: _ Despair could normally detect us very easily, but the fact that both of us are low on power is helping us. I can also detect Despair, so being caught is very improbable. That is why we should focus on finding a place to stay at._

Then, once they had stopped, Hisao suddenly froze. _I detect something. A very faint sense of Despair, accompanied by a Chosen of Hope. That might be our best chance of survival, Master. I advise you to take the following course._ Images flashed in Kyos head, showing him a route to an unknown location. _We have nothing to lose, so here we go. _Slowing down his pace, the boy begun to seek his way in the moonlit city. _What about the message you got earlier, Hisao? _The guardian concentrated on something, but then answered_: It seems like the other person is from the Spirit World, and we would have to return there in order to connect._

**?**

Tsubaki was still stunned from the spells Quake had weaved on her. The spirit of Amane inside her mind was struggling inside the new prison, forced to do nothing but fuel the spells Quake was using. _ I managed to create a fake connection, so you are now able to pass for a Chosen of Hope. After some fine-tuning, I can even take control of one of the Guardians._ _But currently, the boy is walking directly into my trap._

The girl knew that she had to escape the captor or be driven mad, but she had already given up. The power difference was too great to give her even the slightest sliver of hope, so Tsubaki returned to view the memories of Amane. She happily took the opportunity to escape into happy times and away from the horrid world she had been dragged into.

* * *

**On the next step of the Journey:**

Takumi investigates the Planar.

A new Chosen and an old friend

**Chapter 10-Eradicator Epidemic Virus**

* * *

**New cards in this chapter:**

**Creeping Deathfy**

Level 8

Earth/Insect/Synchro

-Once per turn, you may send a card your opponent controls to the graveyard. that opponent reveals the top card of his deck. If it is the same type as the discarded card, the opponent adds it to their hand, otherwise it is sent to the graveyard.

-Oncer per turn, you may prevent the destruction of this card.


	10. Eradicator Epidemic Virus

**Chapter 10**

**Eradicator Epidemic Virus**

* * *

_Daiki has a connection to one of the Guardians, but it's at a very undeveloped state. As a security measure, of course. _Takumi asked for a clarification, and Lotus explained: _We have multiple potential Chosen, and only the appearance of a Guardian can clarify which one is the real one. Otherwise, Despair would just assassinate the Chosen before they awakened._

_So you could have paired with other Masters as well, Lotus? _The spirit had an interesting look on her face when she begun to talk. _By contract, yes. I am unaware of the other possibilities, but I think you turned out to be a great Master. _ The knight released her grasp on the boy, allowing him to return to control of his body.

The boy was holding his head, steadying himself after the mind-reading. _Why am I seeing images of a world being destroyed and living Duel Monsters? Are those things real? _It looked like the two had some explanations to give.

**?**

Eternity was happy. That was a very abnormal thing, and most of her allies knew to stay away and let the pleasant mood continue. After all, they were all blessed with unending life by her powers, and that their eternal life could turn very short if she was angered. _Master, the weapon has been prepared, but..._

The planar turned around, looking at the speaker: _But? I trust there are no weaknesses in the spell? _The man who had spoken noticed that the others had retreated from his vicinity, leaving him all alone. _It is a very extreme method after all. If we activate it now, we will recieve lots of unwanted attention. And since the construct is powerful and straightforward, they might find a way to prevent the strategy that was devised._

Eternity told the man to stop talking, and silence filled the room. _What is your name, Disciple? _Everyone on the room was staring at the man who was now speaking. _ Wheel is the name that I have taken, for it continues eternal as will I. Wheel, your questions were good, but you have forgotten some things. One, the spirits of Hope already pursue me, so the plan needs to be completed as soon as possible. Two, the word "extreme" should not cloud your mind when talking about the lesser mortals. Three, the weapon is linked to my power, and it cannot be undone while I exist._

_But you had courage to question a method you considered sub-par, unlike the other cowards in this room. Thus I will reward you. You shall be the blade that strikes down the ones pursuing me._ The woman walked in front of the kneeling disciple, and begun a spell with a language that time had forgotten. The eyes of the man were fixed to a point in the air as his spirit poured through his skin, forming a ghostly form of a human. As the spell continued, the blank look on his face was turning to a smile. The outline was twisting and turning, trying to grasp something just out of its reach. Then, the form begun to grew faint as the spiritual matter gathered into the planars hand. It formed into a ball, still connected to the original form by a string.

The woman looked at the ball, which was now turning into a elliptical form. The chant continued, and the separated form twitched more and more. Finally, the egg shattered to pieces and a small creature covered in a clear liquid emerged from the inside. _Guardian, return to your Master. _Following the string connecting it to the transfixed man, the creature flowed inside the outline. With the final words of the spell, the outline returned into the disciple, who begun to scream: _I see it. The truth is so beautiful, my eyes are open now! Allow me to turn this power against your foes, Teacher! _

_You are allowed to leave, Wheel. Return when your targets are dead or never at all. The others will stay, for we will initiate the plan tonight._

**Later**

Removing the ritual garb and resuming his facade of normality, Wheel had returned back into wandering in the city. _This city is not worthy of the great powers that reside in it. But soon it shall be cleansed. _To a onlooker his path may have seemed erratic, but his Guardian was guiding him with great precision. _Can't lead any outsiders to Sage. Otherwise we would have to eliminate them. _Sage was his contact in this mission, being the one who tracked down the enemies of the followers of Eternity.

Wheel took out his key to Sage's apartment, whispering a codeword as he turned the it. Otherwise a spell bound to the door would attack him the moment he stepped in. _A little paranoid, but he has all the reasons to be. _After all, Sage hunted the strong, and they had methods for spies. But what wheel saw when he entered the flat was out of expected.

He saw Sage sitting lifelessly in a chair, and after checking the surroundings, moved further into the room. From up close, he could see that the man was gagged, bound into a chair and horribly beaten. His body was covered in scars, but the most sickening feature was his throat. It seemed to have melted at sone points, and the remainder was covered in third-degree burns. It was clear that he had suffered a painful death. Wheel had seen many profane rites, but he still had to resist vomiting.

The examination of the corpse was stopped by horrid pain emerging from his waist. Wheel fell to the ground, his magic negating his senses to block pain from the wound he had just suffered. After an unmeasurable amount of time, Wheel had enough sanity to look at his leg. What he saw was horrible. A steel ball that now rolled on the floor had been launched at his waist at a horrid speed, and it had smashed a bone in half, with both parts protruding through the skin. Thanks to his condition, no blood was coming out and his body was not entering shock, but repairing the wound would take long. And he would not be moving for that duration.

_A femur is the strongest bone in the human body. But it still breaks pretty easily given enough force._ A masked figure emerged from behind the door. It was a female figure, wearing khaki camo clothes. Somehow, her entire presence was filled with hatred. Wheel was not fully in control of his faculties, but managed to whisper: _You broke my leg. _The woman moved up close, explaining: _You immortals are resistant to blood loss, and stunning injuries. The only methods to make you pause are debilitating injuries._

Now the cultist realized who he was talking to, and he became even more panicked. _Mei. Mizushima Mei! Miss Burning Hands! _The woman took off her mask, revealing her face completely. _It seems like you know me. Now, tell me when you are going to release the weapon. Weapon, what weapon? I have no idea what you..._ the lie Wheel had uttered was cut short by Mei kicking his broken bone. _Your friend told everything. You have created a magical signature that rapidly ages the afflicted, imprisoning their life-force for the purposes of your Teacher, Eternity. who resides at the hidden HQ, which location I am perfectly aware of. Sage told me a lot when the skin begun to melt. But time, that he did not know. So, I ask again. When will you launch the plan?_

Wheel shook his head, but the woman stared into his eyes. He could see himself reflecting from lifeless eyes. Then, the woman placed a hand on his healthy leg. Before he could react, the clothes caught fire. _You lied. Tell me. _The flame powered up, filling the room with heat. _Midnight! They will move out by midnight, and the spell will be release in 12 hours. _The pressure vanished, the assassin checking her clock. _10 hours to go. That is acceptable. _She took a knife from her nearby bag, the blade turning red-hot. And the last thing Wheel knew was the blade piercing his eye.

Mei lifted the bloodied knife, looking at the body of Sage which had turned to dust. _Eternal life, but the cost is high. You will not know peace after your demise._ Just then, the knife launched past her face. Wheel twitched, his bones repairing themselves and his eye spinning in its socket. _Nice to meet you, Mei. I am Eternity, the Planar of Darkness. _The body was speaking in a manner other than earlier. _You have a method to use the bodies of your followers, as expected. But what are you planning?_

The corpse rose to it's feet, drawing a set of cards from the belt. _We duel. Your ante will be all knowledge you have attained of me and my plans. And my ante will be the real name of my host. Will you accept this? _

**Hideout**

_Daiki, what is this place? _Takumi asked while looking at the surroundings. The room was filled with scrap, but amongst it were fully operative devices. _My hideout. The second floor of this building collapsed onto the first because someone had saved in the building materials. But there was enough of this place to move in a computer, a fridge, a nice bed and other stuff when I wanted to go on an adventure._

Takumi decided not to ask clarification for the word, "adventure" and focused more on checking the surroundings. After he decided they were stable enough, he opened his laptop. _Yasu gave the planars away to people who were in contact with the orphanage, right. And the perp needs to be part of the Reconstruction Project. I'll just cross-match the lists and see if we get any hits._

_And meanwhile I need to make sure you are safe, Daiki. You have knowledge about the Chosen, but not their powers. That is a combination that will make you very vulnerable to attacks. as you should already know, the code prevents Despair and Hope from attacking each other if they can settle the matter by dueling. If you have a deck carry it with you. If you don't, I will try to find you one. Got it? _

Daiki slid aside a stone covering another of his hiding places, taking out a plastic bag with cards inside it. _I left one here when my parents told me to stop dueling. _Takumi looked through the cards, shaking his head. _Starter trash cards with no sense. I will have to give you a good deck after we get through this. But for now, we have to duel a couple times. _Taking out his deck, the boy begun the match, intending to prove the opponent wrong. After all, his deck could not be that bad, right? Ten turns later he had lost 3 duels and could begin to admit the fact that his card decision sucked.

**Sage's Hut**

_I set two cards and monster, ending my turn._ Wheel had played his cards, and it was time for Mei to respond. _I will shuffle One for One to my deck in order to summon Paired Solar and Lunar Dragons. Next I will set two cards and attack your reversed monster with Lunar. _The field of darkness destroyed Mother Grizzly, which replaced itself with another one of the same kind. (1400 ATK) The second one was blown away by a field of light, this time summoning an Atlantean Pikeman (1400 ATK) [W: 4000-300=3700 LP]

_Next, I will start my turn. First I will activate Spellbooks Inside the Pot to give us both three cards. Next I will Normal Summon Water Spirit Then, I will call back Mother Grizzly with Give and Take, increasing the level of Atlantean Pikeman by 4._

**Syncro Summon!**

**Water Spirit (1) + Atlantean Pikeman (6)**

**Level 7, Bubble Hunter**

The chant was one of the least enthusiastic ones Mei had ever heard. And the monster that appeared was weird. It was a giant bubble floating on the middle of the field. (500 ATK) _It might look weak, but by discarding two cards from my hand, I may destroy one monster on the field. And then the original ATK of my monster increases by that value! _The solar creature disappeared, and the bubble grew in size (500+1700=2200 ATK) Then, it moved towards the defending Mother Gizlly, devouring the bear. _And with the effect of my monster, I summon another Atlantean Pikeman from my deck. Your turn._

As Mei drew her sixth card, she formulated a plan around her cards. _I discard my Bound Dragon to play One for One, summoning Level Eater in defense mode. Next, I will summon Bound Dragon to your side with my Give & Take, increasing the level of Lunar to 8. Finally, I activate Wingbeat of a Giant Dragon. Returning Lunar to my hand to destroy your reversed cards. _The two face-downs shattered to shards, and then Lunar reappeared. _By shuffling Defense Draw to my deck, I may call Solar back to the field._

The twin dragons turned to attack the Bound Dragon and Atlantean Pikeman, defeating both of them. [W: 3700-500-300=2900] _Finally, I set one of my cards and end my turn. _ As the possessed man begun his turn, the controlling player begun to talk. _I rarely meet mortals who are so willing to devote themselves to a task. You will be a powerful foe one day. _Then, the bubble moved to capture Lunar (ATK 2200+1700=3900) _I set two cards, and attack your dragon with Bubble Hunter! _The creature surrounded the dragon of light, devouring it.[M: 4000-2200=1800] One of Mei's traps then flipped face-up. _I will use Soul Rope to summon Reflection Wyvern from my deck. [M:1800-1000=800 LP]_

_My monster grows stronger and stronger, but you send weaklings to fight it. What is your plan? _Mei did not answer, but instead begun her plan. _I will tribute both of my monsters to summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon (3000 ATK). And since Reflection was sent to the graveyard, your monster is halved in power (3900/2=1450 ATK). And now, I will destroy it!_ A stream of light hit the defending monster, but was deflected by a strange light. _Self Tribute turns my monster indestructible at the cost of 1000 life points [W:2900-1000-1550=350 LP] And now, I can feed your dragon to my monster!_ Mei set her remaining card, noting: _With what? You have no cards in your hand, and you need two to use the monster effect._

The enemy activated his reversed card as the response:_ Reinforcements allows me to add my two Atlantean Pikemen and the Water Spirit to my hand. And now, my monster will feed on your dragon. _(ATK 1450+3000=4450) _And next I will finish the duel. Attack directly! _The bubble moved to attack, and smashed at the dying body of Wheel. _Magic Cylinder... should have guessed. _Right after saying this, the body faded away. The only things that remained were letters burned to the floor, forming a name.

**Hideout**

_Found her. Only one match, and it makes sense. _Takumi rechecked the name on the screen. _Eternity, now I know your name. You won't be escaping now!_

* * *

**On the next step of the Journey:**

Message form the spirit world?

Help on the way?

**Chapter 11-Hero Signal**

* * *

**Cards in this chapter:**

**Bubble Hunter**

Level 7

Water/Fairy/Synchro

500 ATK/500 DEF

Once per turn, you may discard two cards to destroy a monster in play and increase the orginal ATK of this monster by the original ATK of the destroyed monster.


	11. Hero Signal

**Chapter 11**

**Hero Signal**

* * *

**Neo Domino City**

Kyo was regretting the fact that he had just rushed with full speed. _The leg is not intended for overly strenuous activity, such as midnight hikes and running away from assassins. How close are we to the location you sensed earlier?_ He kept on walking although the recent fall had unfixed his prosthetic, which was now hitting the ground awkwardly with each step he took. _Master, couple more minutes to the location, but I sense multiple spirits of Despair also approaching the point. Prepare for combat._

Despite the warning from Hisao, combat was not required. A big van moved to sight, driving very fast. _There's our contact, Master. Now, we should find a way to..._ The conversation was cut short by car approaching them. The driver stopped a close to them, and stepped out, keeping a safe distance from them. _Which one of you is the Chosen?_ The female voice was commanding, and Kyo instinctively answered: _That's me. And you?_

_Introductions can wait. My partner-in-crime will attract the others, while you will summon your Guardian._ Kyo was not sure about the other person, seeking more information: _And why would I summon my Guardian?_ But it was Hisao that answered to the question. _So that her guardian can identify me, Master. _ A ghostly outline appeared in front of Kyo, and a black-clothed spirit hopped in front of the spirit.

The black-robed man eyed the Guardian for some time, before nodding. _It is Hisao, but I have no idea about the other one. She is strong in spirit, but not affiliated with Hope or Despair. The boy is acceptable, but the girl... _Kyo stopped the words short. _Are you suggesting that we abandon her! No way! _Azoth just turned towards the boy, looking into his eyes with his metallic eyes shining with anger. _Chivlary will not save you, boy. If you want to be left here, be my guest. Otherwise, keep those outbursts to yourself!_

_Azoth, we are not leaving anyone behind. Hurry up, boy! _ Kyo and Ren moved towards the car, both sitting on the back seats. _Put the seat-belts on, I might need to use evasive maneuvers against the Despair. _Unwilling to argue, Kyo helped Ren with the seat-belt before putting his on. This proved to be a wise decision as the driver pressed the gas.

**?**

_Fate, you have disappointed me. Your plans to capture the chosen and... Ren have failed, forcing me to change my plans. Even with the nullifier that you specifically requested, you could not complete your task. _The General was busy telling Fate all the faults he had caused. He was not raging, which would have been the normal reaction. Instead, he appeared tranquil, calmly going through Fate's reactions and analyzing them. _Master, how can I show my repentance?_

_You will leave this city. Find more victims, spread the word. But be careful, and do not let Hope catch your tracks. Trust only the Chosen of Despair. And cease contact with Quake, for I think her loyalties lie outside our cause. _The kneeling man gathered his courage, asking the General: _So you do not trust him? Do you think he has allied with Hope?_

The voice that was projected into the room now turned a step more threatening: _What I think is my concern. But a fool you would be if you had complete faith in a person who flayed her earlier master. Her loyalty lies not with Hope, for she only looks after her own interests._

_I will now release the Enforcers to this city. You will leave before they arrive to your doorstep. Otherwise... _Fate looked around his house:_ Master, how much time until you release them? I have things to pack. _Now, the voice returned with horrid volume. _Listen to my words, idiot! I already said that I would send them now, meaning at the very moment. But now, that is no longer true, since I released them 5 seconds ago. I suggest you run._

**Morning**

_Kagami-nee, your guest is waking up. _A female voice sounded from a room next to where Kyo had been sleeping. The spirit...(Azoth, that's what she called her Guardian) was looking at him. _My guest? You dragged him and the girl here in the middle of the night. With no warning! _The Master of Azoth did not answer, but the other voice (of her sister?) quieted down. _Is those two the Chosen? _This time, Chiyo answered: _The boy is, but the girl is an anomaly. She has a human body, but the powers of a spirit. It is like someone merged a human with a duel spirit. _Then, someone knocked on the door. _ If you are ready, come out. I think we have much to discuss._

Soon, Kyo walked into the living room, where he was introduced to Chiyo, who had saved him earlier and Kagami, the older sister. Hisao took one look at the girl and emerged to interrupt her. _I sense a taint of Despair, although weak. _The explanation that followed was interesting. 10 years ago, Chiyo had been one of three Chosen, who had fought against forces of Despair. The enemy leader, Thanatos, had used Kagami as a pawn in the plans, driving her to duel against another of the Chosen, Sato Takumi.

_Wait a second. You fought a duel to the death with the boy who later became your husband? and the opponent used Dimension Fusion to connect our world with the spirit world? It sounds like you have been through a lot. And I thought that I had experienced strange things. _After this, he begun to explain what he had gone thorough. The news about Ren seemed to surprise the duo, and the story about Amane's disappearance.

_Wait a second! Now I know who you are. Tanaka Kyo. _After Kagami said the name out loud, Chiyo reacted by spitting out her drink. Azoth moved closer to the boy, spinning his spiked fist. _How do you know my name? I don't know you? _Chiyo looked at the boy, then turning at Azoth. _He doesn't know. This is going to take some explaining. _The confused boy asked the girl: _Explaining, what explaining?_

_There is no good way to say this this thing, so I won't bother trying. When I told you about the General, I didn't tell her name, right. It was Tanaka Yasu. Your adoptive mother was the body jacker I told you about. You and Amane were just spare bodies for her plans._ The boy wanted to say something, to deny the words he heard. But he could not. There was concern in Chiyo's voice, she was afraid of him reacting badly to the words. Why would she lie, then. Why?

The room fell silent. _Master, we need to hurry. Despair will find us soon, and every second we waste pondering is a second they win. We need to act. _Hisao talked through the link, supporting Kyo in his own way. He gave Kyo a reason to fight for, focusing his thoughts on the future and not allowing him to dwell in the past. _So, what is your plan? What will we do?_

Kagami did not see the reason for the quick change in demeanor, but Chiyo seemed to get it. _She knows my Guardian helps me. She knows. _Then, the planning begun. _We have some idea about the plans of Despair, and I have detected many signatures in the Dark World. If you got a message from there, it might pay to investigate. _The boy found a problem in that plan_: Wouldn't that require me to fall asleep? I just woke up, so.._

_That is not a problem. I can make you fall asleep with a single spell, if you like_. Azoth moved next to Kyo, with Ren walking to his side. A ring appeared below the duo, and Kyo felt the usual lure of the other side catch his spirit away from the room.

As Kyo fell asleeep, the body of Ren disappeared with him. _It looks like she switches to a spirit form when she enters the other side, _Azoth noted, _but I think that we can't keep him in the middle of the room. _Before he could do anything, the door was torn open by a tree growing through it. _Did you miss me?_, asked a cheerful voice from behind the door. _Quake. What are you doing here? And why do you smash my door in every single time you visit! _Kagami screamed at the intruder, who took a step backwards. _Angry, aren't you? But I have a good reason to be here, don't I? Chiyo is here, and so is Kyo. Now, do I have to duel you or will you kindly step aside._ As Quake stepped forward, both sisters moved to circle her. _Or I could take you both at the same time, if you so want. Tsubaki, help me a little._

A girl stepped from behind Quake, handing a duel disk to Quake and attaching her own. At the same time, vines circled around the door, pulling in back to the normal place. _Normal Tag Duel rules, right? Let's go then!_

**?**

The Enforcers. They had been brilliant in their test runs, killing each other, but now they would be used for the first time in a real operation. The General had an estimte about the power they held, but could not be sure. After all, their power came from a spell far more ancient, back from the ancient days of humanity. A power of a shadow who had killed and absorbed those of his own kind. It sounded beautiful, so he opened a gate in the air, ready to see what the pack could do.

It would be beautiful.

* * *

**On the next step of the Journey:**

Enforcers?

Chaos in the Dark World

**Chapter 12- Dark World Dealings**


End file.
